Selkies and Sirens
by Cstorm86
Summary: AU where Inuyasha is a sea ship captain, who runs across some bad luck
1. Chapter 1

A/N I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters within.

The sea was calm, and a strong wind filled the sails on the large ship. They were going to get to the new world hopefully in a little over a month, but they still had a long way to go. Inuyasha enjoyed the scent of the sea breeze. The salt stung his nose a bit, but he reveled in the freedom he got on the open sea. He stood on the bow and gazed at the vast blue sky and where it blurred into the deep blue of the sea. The waves lap at the hull in a rhythmic thumping that would lull him to sleep had he been a human. He's been up for almost three days straight, but he knows this area is famous for terrible storms and he wants to try to stay awake in case they manage to come across one.

His first mate, and best friend Miroku, is at the helm for the time being. He's a very good helmsman, but Inuyasha doesn't want to take anything to chance. The cargo they are hauling is very rare and will cost him more than he's ever made on a journey if something goes wrong and he loses any of it. This new feeling of anxiety has made it hard to sleep anyway so he's almost running on fumes even being a hanyou. Had he been a human he would've fallen asleep over a day ago. Now he's fighting every urge to close his eyes, and the lapping water is like a lullaby to his tired mind.

As he stands at the bow he hears footsteps approach, He glances to the side and is surprised to see Miroku walking towards him. "I thought ya were at tha helm. Who the hell is steering my ship?!" His voice comes out in a loud growl, gruff and irritated.

Miroku raises his hands palms flat and facing him in a placating gesture, "Kouga is at the helm, and you know he's every bit as good a helmsman as I am. I came to tell you to go get some rest, the skies are clear and I'll wake you if I see anything out of the ordinary. It's gonna be a long trip and you know you are going to need sleep before too long, you might as well rest now while we're safe or else you'll be no good to any of us if you're too tired to move, let alone steer."

Inuyasha grumbles to himself and turns back to the sea before him, effectively ending the attempt at conversation from his friend. Staring down to the water and could see a couple of dolphins jumping in the wake, and smiles despite himself. As the captain he tries to keep his gruff demeanor, in order to keep the crew in line, but most of them know he isn't a bad guy. They've seen enough when they were at port to guarantee that. That doesn't stop him from being a hard ass on everyone, including himself.

He hears Miroku sigh, long and loud. "You know, Yash, I know that this trip is a lot more stressful, but the Kami is the only one who can decide whether or not we make it. We really can only do the best with what we have. And the best that we can have is you well rested if a storm system strikes. I can't imagine what we'll do if you are so exhausted you can't help secure the rigging, or even if you slip and fall from the mast. Most of us don't have your experience or skill. I doubt any of us would make it if you were hurt. Seems your pride could really take a step back and put everything in perspective."

Miroku hears a "Keh" as he walks away but he sees Inuyasha go to his quarters to get some sleep. A smile spreads across his face as he walks back to the helm to speak to Kouga. "Our fearless leader has finally agreed to go get some rest. I'm gonna go eat so long as you're good. I'll be back after snagging some grub. Do you need anything before I go?" Kouga scrunches his face in a 'what do you think?' kind of look and scoffs. Miroku chuckles quietly and walks to the galley.

Inuyasha sleeps through the rest of the day missing the change of watch bells, and the first part of the night awaking when he awakes to the clanging of the next watch change bell. His head feels groggy and he is quite surprised to see the darkness through the port in his quarters. He leaps out of bed, and dons his pants in a rush. As he steps out the door he is greeted by Miroku, with a wide grin on his face.

"Ah, did you sleep well, Yash? I was just coming to wake you so you can grab a bite to eat before taking over at the helm. I need to get some sleep before dawn."

He was too damn perky, it was extremely irritating to Inuyasha's sleep addled brain. He was pretty sure he responded, but had no idea what he said to the first mate. He turned right toward the galley and grabbed a piece of salt pork. His hanyou body didn't need as much sustenance as the humans on board so he made sure to eat only what was necessary. Once he was off this ship and in the Americas, he would eat until he couldn't move, especially after several months at sea. But for now he just focuses on what he needs to survive.

He arrives at the helm, having already scarfed down the salted meat and swallowing a few droughts of ale. He stands at the helm as Miroku slaps him jovially on the back and walks to his cabin. Everyone who was on watch was rather quiet, quite possibly snoozing.

The deck was rather quiet with the exception of the winds in the sails and the sea crashing against the ship's hull. He revels in the relaxing sounds, since he knows these are the only quiet and calm moments he ever gets. He feels most of his tension leave his shoulders as he lets out a deep breath, then an interesting sound catches his attention. One he's never heard before…

The soft female voice started softly, his ears being very sensitive he's able to hear sounds sooner than the crewmen, and rises to a louder singing as other voices join the first. As his mind registers it, he's stricken at how beautiful it is, and all he wants to do is get to the ladies who are singing such a beautiful melody. His hands move of their own accord and the ship lurches to the starboard as he twists the wheel as fast as his enhanced abilities let him. He hears several splashes as several crewmen walk off the side of the ship in an attempt to get to the sound quicker. He hears more men waking up and ignores the background noise. More splashing and some screaming as several lanterns have toppled over at the abrupt change in direction and caught fire. He still can't focus on anything except the voice. Soon his legs are carrying him away from the helm in an attempt to get to the voice.

Then the sound turns painful, and his head feels like it is being crushed beneath a mountain. He hears a high pitched sound in the background and stops before he arrives at the railing. He can see the rocks looming and a small island a little ways away. He sees several of his crewman still jumping off the edge and several bodies floating in the water around them. After another moment of things clicking he looks up and sees 3 smug smiling creatures with the upper bodies of beautiful women and what looked like bird legs, and wings coming out of their backs sitting on rocks and singing loudly.

His instincts take over and he leaps from the ship and lands on the rocks. He brandishes his claws and swipes at the first and her sound changes from a melody to a screech of pain. Another of the three screams at him and lashes out with claws of her own, the third has fled, he can see her flying away on her outstretched wings. The one who strikes at him has managed to hit him hard, her claws tear into his stomach, and he is bleeding profusely. He takes his claws and dips them into his own blood, then yells loudly "Blades of Blood" as he flings his hand outwards towards her. The blades hit and she screeches before falling into the sea.

Then a loud crash erupts behind him as his ship crashes against the rocks, and he leaps back toward the ship to try to save everyone and everything he can. Miroku is running on the deck screaming to everyone to pour water on the fires, and trying to salvage what they can. As Inuyasha lands on the deck, his legs slip underneath him, and he topples over blood soaking the floor around him. Miroku sees him and rushes over to help him stand up until he sees the blood. Then he quickly changes his mind and applies pressure to the wound.

"Yash, what the hell man? I go to sleep for less than an hour and the ship is on fire, sinking, and half the crew are missing! What the hell happened?" His voice has a noticeable tremor that he is clearly trying to hide.

Inuyasha tries to breathe without flaring the pain, then manages to ground out, "These 3 creatures were hypnotizing us with some sort of song or some shit, now help me up. We have to save as many as we can!" He tries to stand but Miroku easily holds him down.

"Are you telling me Sirens were singing and you aren't dead?! How in the hell did you resist their song?"

The look of disbelief on his face is enough to piss Inuyasha off, "I'm not as weak as you humans, I know we've had this talk before Miroku. I was able to snap out of the trance and I killed two out of the three, but the third fled. Now come on, I'm not gonna let everyone die. Let me the fuck up!"

He pushes Miroku off him, and this time Miroku doesn't fight, extending a hand to help him stand. Once back on his feet Inuyasha starts heading towards the lifeboats and getting people in them as quickly as possible. Once he has everyone but Miroku in the life boats he grabs his friend and shoves him in the last boat and lowers it into the sea. Miroku is yelling something at him, but he ignores him. The lifeboat touches down and the crew start rowing away. Miroku is still yelling, but he ignores him, instead watching the boat float away, content knowing he saved all he could; even if he is a little angry at himself for being tricked in the first place. He feels the ship begin sinking faster, as the bulkheads start breaking. Inuyasha approaches the helm and stands there awaiting the final lurch of the sinking ship. This is how he knew he would die. It's in his blood, just as the sea and the salt breeze are in his heart. His hands grasp the helm, and he holds on tight, he is the captain and this is his ship. It's his burden. He must go down with the ship, just like his father.

The seawater rushes over the railing and he holds tight to avoid his feet being ripped out beneath himself. He holds on and feels the strong solid wood beneath his hands crack slightly under the pressure. He tries to keep his eyes open as long as he can, knowing these will be his last moments, he will not see another day or night, no longer smell the salt on the air, or hear the wind billowing the sails. Finally the saltwater begins to hurt his eyes and he squeezes them shut. He tries to hold his breath until his lungs ache, then his hold on the helm weakens.

As soon as his hold lessens he feels something grab him. He assumes that his soul is ascending to heaven and releases the helm completely. He doesn't notice when the pressure is eased and he is above the water floating on a piece of wood. He takes a few shaky breaths and the first thing he notices is pain ripping through his lungs as they finally get the much needed air. He tries to open his eyes but can't summon the strength. '_I thought heaven was supposed to be painless and peaceful, why do I hurt everywhere?' _His thoughts are kind of cloudy but he knows he should be dead. Then a sudden stop wakes him up from his half dead stupor and he opens his eyes to see a beautiful maiden with long black wavy hair and eyes the color of storm clouds over the sea. Her skin is pale, and she is noticeably naked. He closes his eyes instinctively, to try to preserve her modesty.

Those damn bird women are singing again, trying to lure innocent people to their deaths. She hated that they found her favorite little island. This used to be her island, the natives on the other side didn't even know she existed and she could go on shore and enjoy the sunrises or sunsets, heck even the beautiful storms rolling in over the sea. Her family didn't like that she went on shore as a human, they never even removed their skin, they preferred to stay in the depths swimming, and would only come on shore to sleep. They actually didn't know about this little island either. Her 'home' as they called it was with them, a few miles away on a rocky shore, that hurt her flesh when she wasn't wearing her thickened skin.

She loves the sea, but she longs to know what the human world was like. She sneaks her seal snout above the waves, and sees the ship take a sharp turn toward the nasty bird women. Several men have already jumped off the ship. Unfortunately from such a high drop they had no chance to ty to land safely, and the water hits them like solid ground and she can hear bones crunch. Then when they do drift underwater the pain is so excruciating they end up not holding their breath and breathe in the seawater. She begins to go gather up some of the bodies, hoping to find some still alive.

Then she sees something she's never witnessed before. A tall man with long white hair, and some sort of fuzzy triangle on top of his head. She swims away from the bodies towards him, but he is attacking the bird women. She is in awe, she's never seen anyone able to resist their song. Not to mention the muscular form perched atop the rock. Her eyes are glued to his form, until the last bird woman strikes and she sees him begin bleeding. Her heart sinks, he won't make it now. Those women are pure evil, and he is bleeding heavily.

Then she watches in confusion as he dips his fingers into his own blood and yells something while he flings it at the remaining bird woman. The blood droplets turn into blades and strike her hard. Her body falls into the sea and she is swept away. He stumbles for a second, then leaps back towards the ship, which is crashing onto the rocks.

She feels something new and strange. Immediately she swims to the ship and into the hole made by the rocks, the ship will sink soon, she needs to help save them. This man needs to live. She has played in many sunken ships and can easily navigate the corridors. There are no men remaining below deck, but she can hear voices above her. She doesn't dare go up there until the water is deeper, lest she be seen.

She sticks her seal snout above the water again, and take a deep breath to hide below the waterline until the coast is clear. The water is now pouring over the deck of the ship, and she hears someone yelling, but it sounds distorted from her location. The man with white hair, is standing at the big wheel thing that steers the ship. Why are these men so prideful? Do they really think death is the proper course? She swims closer as the water envelops him. She sees his hands gripping the round wood as if it can keep him alive, but she knows him gripping it will only kill him. The second his fingers slack she grabs him and pulls him to the surface of the water. She manages to get him on a piece of floating wood, probably from his ship, and steers it towards the island.

Once he is on the sandy beach she runs to some underbrush and removes her skin, and is now in her human form. She returns as quickly as she can and sees him grimacing in pain. His voice is gruff yet somehow melodic to her ears, as he grumbles about 'pain and death is supposed to be painless', and a grin breaks out over her features knowing he'll survive this. She's not sure why she is so invested in this 'human'? She's not sure what he is with those fuzzy triangles on his head. Then his eyes open and she is struck by the most beautiful gold looking at her, then he looks away, and her heart falls along with her smile. She shouldn't have presumed that he would be happy to have been saved. Humans are so weird.

A few moments pass and finally he growls out, "You should have some clothes on or you'll catch your death. Besides if any of my men see a naked woman Kami knows what they'll try to do." With that he sits up and removes his top covering and puts it over her. She looks down at it, then back to him realizing that even though seals are always naked, humans always wear coverings on their bodies. They do tend to lose heat faster than seals do. She finds herself grinning again. She understood most of what he said but a few words were foreign.

Her voice comes out softer than she expects, "C-clothes? Kami…" His eyes lock on hers, and she is a little surprised with the speed. The little triangles are twitching towards her, and she can't stop herself when her fingers sneak up and touch one. It disappears against his hair, and his hand grabs her arm, effectively stopping her. She can tell he is very strong, but he is being gentle not to hurt her.

"Hey! Don't touch! You don't see me touching you." She blinks in confusion, then looks at his hand on her arm, he was clearly touching her, but acting as if he wasn't. He follows her gaze and releases her arm with a strange sound in the back of his throat "Keh". She looks back into his eyes which are looking away and tries to repeat the sound but it comes out wrong, "kreh… kra...k..k..k" After several failed attempts her eyes drop to the sand beneath them and she accidentally lets out a small whine, and the triangles are pointing directly at her again, and one side of his mouth has kicked up in a smile.

"Do you have a name, Weird Girl?" His voice has lost some of its gruffness, and her eyes raise back up to meet his. The look of utter confusion on her face seems to make him smile more, she tries to repeat his words, "N-n-nammme?" She looks into his eyes and a spark of realization hits him, "You don't speak this language, do you? Of course you can't possibly answer that if you don't speak it. Why would I expect you to speak Japanese." He takes a deep breath, and tries again with English, "_Can you understand me now?" _She has heard English speakers through this region for years, she knew some of his words before but this she has practiced for quite a lot longer. "_Yes, I can understand you. Are you still hurting?" _His jaw drops slightly, not expecting her to speak so easily.

"_Still hurting? What are you talking about?" _He responds gruffly. She looks down to where he was bleeding before but it seems to have stopped, She reaches forward and gently runs her fingers along his stomach, but finds no open wound. She looks back up and is even more confused than before. "_The bird woman hurt you, what happened to the wound?" _A cocky grin spreads across his face, "_I'm a fast healer. Wait, how did you know about the siren? You couldn't have possibly have seen her from here." _He looks out towards the sea, and the rocks are barely blurs even with his enhanced vision. She shakes her head gently "_Siren_?" He looks a little irritated for a heartbeat, then "the '_Bird woman' was a Siren. That's what they are actually called. But if you were close enough to see them, then you would have heard them too. So how did you know about them?" _Her eyes go wide and she looks out to the rocks, trying to think of a way out of this. Did she really just doom herself into revealing the truth to him?

Her mother's warning echoes in her mind, "_You can't trust the humans. They have taken many of our kind captive to use as they see fit. You must always hide your skin and never let anyone see you. Once you let them see you, then you will never be free." _She realizes she is still staring at the rocks, but she can't repress the fear that must be plain on her face. What can she possibly do?

As the terror grips her, she finally decides running away is for the best. He's still staring at her with those golden eyes, as she stands up quickly, flashes a sad smile and darts into the underbrush. He tries to jump up and scramble after her, but she makes it to the underbrush quickly enough. She strips off his covering, grabs her skin and flees to the sea. She's still in her human form when she reaches the water but dives under the water anyway and proceeds to re-skin herself. When her seal snout pops back out of the water she sees him sniffing at the sand by the water's edge and he look so confused as he scans the sea and sees her. She is a little broken-hearted at the thought of never seeing him again. But she knows this is for the best. He'll live and everything will be ok.

She swims around the island until she sees some of his men and she barks at them until one looks at her. He has deep brown eyes, and dark hair in a small ponytail at the back of his head. His smile is sweet and sincere, he speaks in that language that the other man first spoke to her in and she can understand some of it, but most of it is just gibberish. "Hey there, you're a strange creature. Here, we're not here to hurt you." He kneels down to seem less threatening she guesses. She waddles up closer and barks at him again. His smile is wide and friendly as he tries to approach her. She has to get him to go find their friend. She waddles a few hops down the beach and turns back to him and barks.

He looks very puzzled but finally shakes his head, "Sorry I can't play, I have to see if anyone needs medical attention." She huffs in frustration then waddles up to him and bites his outer covering and begins to pull. He tries to dislodge her thinking she was trying to hurt him, she guesses, then she releases it and grabs it again and pulls him. "Little creature, I don't know what you're doing but it seems you want me to come with you, right?" She understands enough of that to let go and bark at him as if to say yes. Then she bounds away and turns to see if he is following.

He turns and speaks to the others then proceeds to catch up to her. "Alright, I don't know what you want to show me, but it had better be good. We have several wounded." She barks again and starts waddling as quickly as she can back towards the man with the white hair. Even if she never gets to see him again she will make sure he is safe.

The new dark haired man follows her easily, since as a seal she is rather slow on land. The come to where she left the white haired man but he isn't there. Now it is her turn to stick her nose to the sand and follow his scent. She waddles towards the underbrush following his musky scent until she hears a gruff voice erupt from the treeline, "Dammit, where the hell did she go? There's no way she could've tricked my nose!"

"YASH!" The dark haired man ran around her and grabbed "Yash" as she heard him called. He hugged him tight, "Miroku? What the hell? How did you even find me?" She took those words as her cue to bolt and dashed back to the water. She saw the black haired man pointing to her before she dove under the water to hide.

She holds her breath as long as she can then sneaks her head up and is relieved he isn't there anymore. She swims towards the shore and looks around carefully in her seal form. She doesn't sense anyone or smell anyone other than the 2 men, whom she assumes went to give the wounded medical attention. She doesn't dare remove her skin now, but she does lay on the beach and wait for the sun to rise. Looking forward to the warm rays.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, I'm so glad people liked this idea, Thank you all for your support, and thank you Eternalnight-8806 for the help in editing.

A/N I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in this story. I do not make any profit from this, it's something I decided I wanted to try instead of writing my own for a while.

"_Still hurting? What are you talking about?" _He responds gruffly. He watches her look down towards his abdomen and he can actually smell her confusion. "_The bird woman hurt you, what happened to the wound?" _He can't help the smile that spreads across his face, "_I'm a fast healer," _then his smile vanishes. How in the hell could she have known about the creatures that hypnotized them?"_Wait, how did you know about the siren? You couldn't have possibly seen her from here." _He looks out towards the sea, and the rocks are barely blurs even with his enhanced vision. She shakes her head gently "_Siren_?" He feels his irritation rise for an instant, but decide to give her a chance to explain. "The '_Bird woman' was a Siren. That's what they are actually called. But if you were close enough to see them, then you would have heard them too. So how did you know about them?" _Her eyes go wide and she turns away and faces the sea.

He can smell the terror rolling off of her in waves. But he can't figure out why she has suddenly turned so afraid. She touched his God-damned ear for Kami's sake! How in the hell is this scaring her?! He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and tries to calm his voice. Maybe it's him, maybe his anger is putting her on edge. He looks back at her just in time to see the most sad look he could imagine in those stormy blue eyes and it stops him from speaking. he stands up and bolts towards the treeline. He's so dumbstruck it takes him a minute to get up and chase after her. By the time he gets just passed the first trees, he finds his haori on the ground. He picks it up and looks for her, but her tracks lead back onto the beach. He follows them and they lead right to the water, but that doesn't make any sense. He stares at the water for several minutes to see if she comes up, but that would be the stupidest hiding place ever.

After several minutes, a creature pops its head out of the water and looks right at him, then dives back down. Other than the one animal, a seal he thinks they are called, nothing else happens. He finally decides to go back to where his haori was dropped and see if he can find her scent. He picks it up easily and follows it back to the sea. He is fuming now, how in the hell did she trick his nose? He stomps back into the trees and backtracks to where his haori was again, this time catching a strange smell.

He can't quite place it, but it seems familiar somehow. He realizes that whatever was there she picked it up and ran off with it to the sea! "What the hell sense does that even make? Why would a beautiful woman run around naked? And why would she go into the sea?" Was he hallucinating all of this? Did this woman even exist, or was it just his brain reacting to almost drowning? He tries to convince himself for a few minutes that he was probably just imagining things, but then he went to put his haori on and he could smell her on it. She was definitely real.

He began searching again, muttering to himself the whole time, "Dammit, where the hell did she go? There's no way she could've tricked my nose!" Then through the brush Miroku came running at him. "YASH!" He felt his best friend grab him and hug him tight, he couldn't resist squeezing him back. They parted after a moment, "Miroku? What the hell? How did you even find me?" He felt incredulous, he thought he was stranded on a deserted island, but apparently Miroku and his men had come to the same island.

Miroku stepped aside and pointed to the seal creature which was bounding away towards the sea. "That seal came and grabbed me, it led me to you strangely enough. I've never seen a wild animal act like that. But I can't feel any youki off of it, so it has to be just a regular animal, right?" Inuyasha nodded absently, knowing full well something was weird about that creature. He followed its tracks onto the sand, and he instantly recognized the smell as whatever she was carrying. Maybe the sea water up his nose messed with his sense of smell after all.

"Yash, several of the men are wounded, I could really use your help getting them taken care of. Then we need to scout and see if there's anywhere for us to make camp. I don't know how long we're gonna be stuck here, but we are gonna need fresh water soon, and food too."

That thought brought him back to reality, his men needed him. He fell into step following Miroku's trail from before and when he arrived he saw a very depressing sight. Most of his men weren't there, the ones that were looked pretty fucking bad. While looking out at the sea he saw quite a few things floating. He hoped maybe some stuff could be salvaged.

"All right everyone, anyone who isn't injured get over here, now. It's time to get to work or else every last one of us is gonna die out here." Kouga was one of the first to stand up, "I'll go scout for a water source. I think that's gonna be the most crucial. Ginta and Hakkaku can join me. We'll search for food too." With that the 3 demons speed off into the trees. Inuyasha watches them run off, then turns back to the rest of his men, finding Miroku already bandaging a man.

"Ok, I need at least 3 men who are uninjured to get in the boat and go pick up everything that is salvageable. Even if it looks like trash we may be able to use it. Look for buckets, any lanterns, or anything that may be useful." Four men stand up, Kiyotake, Yoshiharu, Akikane, and Shigemori; they begin pushing the boat into the water, and jump in and begin to row. Once they get a little ways away, they begin grabbing everything they could grab, thinking at least it could be kindling, if not useful.

"Lastly, I need scouts. Who else is uninjured?" Another small group stood up, and approached. "Ok. Follow the beach, Kanemitsu and Nagatoshi you go one way and the Iekane and Katataka go the other. Turn around after an hour. If you see any people, try to get any information on the island, and see if there's any medical assistance."

The two groups leave and Inuyasha walks over to begin helping treat the wounded. The sun has finally fully risen, and the morning is already humid. It doesn't take long to get all the wounds bandaged and set several broken bones, everyone tried to help each other. The men who had gone out to sea returned with a lot of debris, and set quite a bit of wet wood out to dry. Kouga's party returned next with several pieces of fresh fruit and a wild boar. "We found a fresh water spring not far from here, but we'll need something to carry some back."

Inuyasha grumbled a "Nice work, wolf," and goes into the trees without saying another word. He quickly begins picking up any fallen logs and smaller sticks to start a fire. He even finds a long strong stick to skewer it on. He had to get these men some food soon, those who were wounded were going to need as much energy as possible to help them heal. After he had enough to keep a fire going for several hours he headed back to the beach.

Upon returning, he discovered that the men who went out to sea had managed to find a couple buckets and Kouga had gone to fill them with fresh water. Ginta confirms that they had found a spring not far from their current location, but had nothing to carry any back.

Inuyasha sets up the firewood and some kindling, then pulls his knife off his belt. Miroku slinks behind him, "Sorry Yash, we weren't able to find any flint stones. I imagine they were too heavy and sunk. It might be a bit harder to get the fire lit." Inuyasha instinctively lets loose a "Keh!" and drags his claws against his knife. Sparks erupt from the collision and soon the kindling is smoking. Miroku steps back away from the sparks but more out of surprise than fear.

Within a moment the fire is roaring and Inuyasha skewers the boar. Kouga returns for the second time with 2 buckets full of water. Once he sets the buckets down Hakaku starts doling out cups of water trying to get everyone a drink. Unfortunately they only found 3 cups, 1 of which was cracked. In the meantime, Kouga helps Yash hoist the boar over the fire so it can begin cooking.

Now there is nothing but time to kill, and Inuyasha is going stir crazy. Everyone is sitting around the fire when two of the scouts come back, "Cap'n, we did see signs of a village, but I think it was going to be at least another hour march. And they weren't on the beach, there's a good chance we would've gotten lost. We can run another scouting party through the woods, but we wanted to return and tell you our findings. Also, a lot of our supplies are washing up on shore down a ways. We might be able to take a few of the men and bring some supplies back."

Inuyasha's voice is gruff but not harsh, "How long did you walk before you came across most of the supplies? The boar is gonna take a couple hours at minimum but I don't want anyone wearing themselves out, since some people might be injured without knowing it."

The 2 scouts, Kanemitsu and Nagatoshi share a glance and a quick whisper thinking Inuyasha wouldn't hear them, "Wasn't it just a bit after the actual sunrise, so it had to be within a quarter of an hour." The other scout nodded vigorously then glanced up to judge the time according to the sun now, "Yeah, and considering the location of the sun when we turned around and the location now, it's been 3 quarters of an hour since we got there."

Inuyasha cuts in suddenly, "So it's only a fifteen minute walk or so?" Their faces grow pale and the first scout nods slowly, then his cheeks turn bright red in embarrassment. "Yessir, cap'n I just wanted to make sure we were both remembering it correctly so's not to give you inaccurate information, sir."

Inuyasha just nods gently, "Miroku, can you take Kouga, Ginta, Hakaku, Jinenji, Kiyotake, Yoshiharu, Akikane, and Shigemori. Bring back everything you guys can carry." They all begin walking and Inuyasha starts going the other direction hoping to find the other 2 scouts.

Kagome dives into the water as 2 men come walking down the beach towards her. She swims around closer to where they came from and sees 4 men in a smaller boat picking up things that are floating in the water. She swims closer trying to figure out what they are after but it seems they are picking up almost everything. She glances toward the beach to see the man from before with white hair basking in the sunlight. 'Maybe he's looking for something. I wonder what it might be?'

She finally decides she can probably help and dives down to the sunken ship. She finds several barrels that are still tied down and tears the rope freeing them to float to the surface. Then she starts grabbing chests that have handles she can use and pulls them up to the shallows. At least ten trips are made dragging chests up to the shallows where they aren't visible from the beach but they are easily accessible in her human form.

She travels to a small underwater cave and carefully removes her skin. She has tattered coverings she has found off of sunken ships before and does her best to put them on. It seems every time a human sees her without coverings they tend to act strange, and she'd rather not cause more trouble for the human called Yash. Unfortunately that means she'll have to swim in them and she's never swam with these coverings on her before. She'd only found them a few weeks ago, and she'd tried to put them on then but it felt so strange having some sort of cloth covering her instead of her skin.

She can easily hold her breath for several minutes even in her human form, although she wasn't sure of her strength and ability to carry all the things she'd brought up. Hopefully she could get at least some of the chests to the shore before being discovered. She surfaces a little ways away from the chests so as not to be too obvious and does a quick scan to make sure there is no one around, then she proceeds to begin trying to drag them up on shore. The first is relatively light and moves easily. The second she realizes she can't move at all so she jumps to another. She manages to pick it up a bit then she loses her footing and topples into the water with it landing on top of her.

The air leaves her lungs in a whoosh and she is having trouble getting her head above water. After a great deal of splashing she feels the container leave her chest and she is yanked above the water. She is caught in a golden gaze as she struggles to catch her breath. His voice is gruff and she can hear a hint of anxiety in it, "_What the hell were you doing, are you ok?"_

She coughs a bit before she is able to speak clearly, "_I am alright now. I have found some of your things and wanted to try to get them on shore." _ His eyes drop to the chest that was on her and then they drift to the several dark shadows under the water. His eyes go wide and he stares at her hard, "_Where did you get all this stuff?" _Her head drops as she realizes maybe she didn't think this through, of course she hadn't planned on getting caught moving them all. How is she going to explain her way out of this one? She can't very well tell him a seal brought it up, he'd think she was crazy for sure, and he obviously doesn't believe that she swam to a sunken ship and brought up everything she could carry, even though both were true. She glances up through her bangs which are plastered to her face and he is studying her closely.

"_I found them. I thought you could use them. If not I will take them and find someone else who is in need." _She hopes so hard he won't call her bluff, she has barely spoken to any humans on this island, that would make it too easy to figure out her secret. The story of selkies is well known in this area. He stands up straight and drags her up onto the shore. She tries to fight a bit, but he is much stronger than her.

"_Just stop thrashing, you need to rest after you drank in that much seawater." _She blinks in confusion, she would never dream of drinking the seawater. She would have to be completely stupid. Then he drops her on the sand and marches back into the water where he grabs a chest in each hand and hoists them up, making them look light. She is slightly in awe at his ability to keep his balance while walking through the water carrying two very heavy containers. Most humans are completely incapable of walking in water, being unused to the resistance it applies to your legs. He smirks at her, and she realizes she must have been staring at him. Her face drops and she feels her cheeks become unnaturally hot. She's never felt like this before and everything in her is telling her to run away. As she glances up, he is walking back to the chests to grab some more.

She takes this opportunity to bolt again, and she heads to the treeline. Before she reaches the trees he lands right in front of her causing her to stop. Unfortunately she stops so suddenly she trips and lands face first in the sand. She feels his hand grip her upper arm and lift her back on her feet. "_D'ya care to tell me why the hell you keep running from me?" _His voice is so angry it's almost a growl, and these strange bumps erupt over her skin. She wants to investigate the bumps but she can't pull her eyes away from his. She feels trapped in that beautiful gold, at the same time she begins feeling like she has been holding her breath far too long.

'What is wrong with me, why can't I speak?' She keeps trying to open her mouth to respond, but her body doesn't seem to be cooperating with her. Finally he lets loose a loud, deep growl and drags her back to the first chest. He plops her onto the ground so she is sitting next to it and he pops it open. He rummages around inside looking for something. Her eyes go to the inside of the chest and try to see what was inside, unfortunately it is also full of water so most of it may be damaged. He finally lets out a strange sound she has never heard before "AH HA!" and then he pulls out a length of rope.

Her eyes go wide, and she knows she is in trouble. She should have listened to her mother and never tried to help these damn humans. Tears spring unbidden and she lets out a choked sob. His voice is quiet and calm, "_Oh stop it, I ain't gonna hurt ya. But I can't have you running off every time I turn my back now can I?" Now you stay here, while I grab the rest of these chests and then you and I are gonna talk. After you start talking, and give me some damn answers, I'll let ya go. I don't make it a habit of kidnapping women, ya know! So stop yer damn blubbering!" _

She looks up trying to figure out what he said in most of that. There were several words she was trying to figure out, but the one she knew she had never heard was kidnapping, 'why would he put children to sleep with women?' Her curiosity overcomes her fear and she voices this out loud without realizing it, "Why would you make it a habit of making children sleep with women, are there a shortage of beds?" His demeanor changes abruptly and he lets out a bark-like laugh, "_You've gotta be kidding me, wench! I thought English was your first language! Kidnapping means to take against someone's will. Like 'abduct' I think that's the word." _

She feels her face scrunch up tight, 'Abduct, do I know that word? Yes! That's one of the ones Mama used when the humans find your skin. They abduct you and make you their slave! They hide your skin so you can never return to your home in the sea!' She feels her face unscrunch and her eyes go wide with fear. She's trying to remember his words before and figure out if he had just told her he was going to abduct her. Was she never going to go home? But he doesn't have her skin so she can eventually get away, right?

"_Wench! I said I don't plan on doing that! I just want you to answer my fucking questions!" _She feels herself relax, understanding this outburst Well, everything except for the word 'fucking', she's heard this word many times but has never been able to figure out what it means, but it doesn't seem important right now. She takes a deep breath, she can't tell him but maybe she can try to explain that she can't tell him? "_I'm sorry, Yash." _HIs eyes go wide when he hears the nickname only Miroku uses and his hand lashes out and grabs her yanking her forward and stopping her before she could continue. His voice sounds deep, gravelly, and has a lethal quality to it, "_Where have you heard that name before?!" _She winces in pain when he grabs her, but her eyes go wide, when she realizes she said it out loud. She hadn't meant to, but she had gotten so used to using it in her own head, she forgot she wasn't supposed to hear it.

She knows she's caught, there's no way to talk her way out of this. She'll never be free, never feel the sea around her, or hunt beneath the cool rippling waves. Tears come back but she doesn't sob, she'd rather die than betray her family, and she imagines that will be the outcome. She takes a deep breath and decides to face her death head-on.

"_I overheard your friend speak it when he found you. I had fled earlier but was still close enough to hear him. Unfortunately that is the only answer you will get out of me. Go ahead and kill me. I will not betray my friends and family." _She stares resolutely towards the ocean, her home for the last 8 complete cycles of the sun. She may have resided on another island but that doesn't mean the ocean wasn't her true home. Plus without looking at him she couldn't be tricked into giving away anything else. Her mother would be mad at her for falling for it, after all the warnings she'd been given, but at least her friends and family will be safe.

"_You know, I have no intention of killing you, I imagine he did yell it pretty loud but your trail ended at the ocean so I had no way of following it. I also couldn't see you so I know you had to swim out pretty far, which lessens the chance of you hearing it. I know you are hiding something, wench. If you promise that you aren't trying to hurt my men, then I'll let you go. I still wanna know how in the hell you were able to get all these chests from a ship on the seabed, but I guess you're not willing to give me that answer... yet. I imagine I haven't given you much reason to trust me either." _He ties her hands together and attaches the other end of the rope to the heavy chest she couldn't pick up earlier. "_Until I get these pulled up I want you ta stay right here. An' since you have a habit of running away, this seems like the best solution."_ She stares at the sand between her feet and studiously ignores him.

He proceeds to gather the rest of the chests, he can now see barrels floating out in the water. He glances behind him and she is still staring at the sand, refusing to lift her head up. He is completely overcome, he'd never hurt a woman unless she struck first, but this wench is driving him to the brink of insanity. Who in the hell is she, and how did she get all of their belongings from a couple hundred feet below? In one of the chests he finds the item he was transporting. He'd never looked in it, but now he had to find some way to hide it. If his men knew about it, they might do something stupid. Mostly talk about it, especially if they found the locals.

"_Alright, wench. I'll release you if you can tell me a good place to hide this one. I can't let anyone know I have it." _Her eyes lift slowly and the second she makes eye contact she drops them again. "_I'm serious, you have to know a good hiding place on this island, you've lived here your whole life, right?" _She shakes her head gently. "_I don't live here."_ His jaw drops and he grabs her arm again, "_Why are ya lyin' ta me, now? I swear I will release you if you just show me where I can hide this. It's too dangerous to not be locked away." _She winces when he grabs her arm expecting it to hurt, but he's clearly being more gentle than before. "_I live on a nearby island, I come here for things that don't grow on my island."_ She isn't quite lying. She enjoys several fruits that grow here, but not on her island. "_Bullshit. You don't have a boat, so there's no way you come from a different island. You can't possibly swim that many miles just for some fucking fruit!"_

She finally locks eyes with him and resolutely responds, "_I cannot tell you anything more. If you push it back into the water I can arrange for it to be hidden, but not even you will know where. That is the only thing I can offer."_

He scoffs in irritation, "_That ain't gonna help me at all. Why can't you tell me where you're gonna hide it? What, are __you_ _hiding something there?"_ He said it jokingly, but she couldn't help the fear that flashes across her face. It seems he's put several puzzle pieces together and realizes that she must be hiding something that's special to her in the same location, "_Fine, but I have one more condition then. I need you to stay close so if I need it I can get it. You can't be running back to your island until I get this all figured out. Then when I find a place I will have you bring it back to me. That way you can keep your secret hiding place, and I know I can still get it when I need it. Besides, then you won't keep disappearing on me."_

She sits and thinks about it for a minute, then realizes this is probably the only chance she's gonna get. If she does this for him he won't abduct her, and he might even help protect her from others on the island. She finally nods, and looks into his eyes. "_I can't show you where it is. I'll be in danger, I will do my best to help you, but I cannot endanger myself, or others will be in danger too." _She looks up and sees his triangles are pointing right at her. As she stares at them, they suddenly fold down and disappear in his white hair. She looks to his eyes for an answer as to what happened, and he is frowning at her.

"_Ok, first of all, who is endangering you? Is someone after you?" _

She debates for only a second before she realizes this isn't something that will endanger her, "_Humans do not trust my kind. If they learn of my existence then I and my people are in great danger."_

His frown has become a smirk, "_Take a good look at me, wench. D'ya think humans trust my kind?" _She looks him up and down in confusion.

"_I do not understand, are you not a human?" _

His smirk disappears as quickly as it had appeared, "_You tell me first, wench. You look and smell human to me. I would have been able to tell if you were a demon. I don't think you are a gami, and so that means that whatever you are is out of my realm of knowledge. So tell me what you are, and I'll tell you what I am. I can assure you I won't let anyone hurt you._"

She smiles at him, and he can tell it's the first genuine smile she's ever given him. "_If I trust you with this knowledge, and I __do_ _believe you will not hurt me, then I still will not tell you my hiding place, or where my island is. I cannot give any one human or otherwise that much power over me."_

The corners of his lips lift just slightly, not quite smiling, but a bit more pleasant than his frown he had been wearing. "_I don't think anyone can have power over you, wench. However, you may keep your secrets. If you don't wish to tell me what you are, then don't, I just won't be revealing anything to you either. I will however keep you safe. I won't let others hurt you._"

Her smile is practically dazzling, "_What is your name, if not 'Yash'?" _

His small smile drops for just a moment then returns, "_Are you trying to change the subject? Fine, I'm gonna stick with my previous answer; you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."_

She nods gently, "_My name is Kagome. No one other than my own species knows my name. I am a selkie,"_ his look of confusion urges her to continue. "_I am a seal. Our species can become a human, but regular humans tend to distrust us. They feel we are tricksters or they discover how to trap us and enslave us. I have lost friends and loved ones to greedy humans who desire to use us. My mother warned me not to ever trust a human. But it seems you are not human either. Perhaps you are to be trusted."_

His look of incredulousness brings the intense heat back to her cheeks. 'Have I said too much?' His voice cuts into her thoughts, and pulls her away. "My name is Inuyasha, _I am a hanyou. In Japan we have creatures that are called youkai. I am half youkai, half human. As a half breed I am really not accepted by either. My father was a dog demon, hence the ears," _with these words he wiggles the two triangles on top of his head. "_So yeah, I know how it feels to have no one trust you."_

His head droops and she doesn't think before she reaches forward and touches the side of his cheek. At the feel of her fingers against his skin he leaps backwards. "_I am so sorry, I didn't mean to make you think I don't trust you. I should probably tell you I've never actually spoken to a human before I met you. When I saw you choosing to drown, I couldn't let you do that to yourself. Especially since I've never seen anyone fight the siren's call. You tried so hard to overcome the challenge and then gave up. You sent your men away and grabbed hold of the helm to let yourself die. I have seen far too many not able to break free of their call and die with regrets. You were able to break free, then gave yourself to death anyway. May I ask why you were so willing to give up on life?" _


	3. Chapter 3

Kouga's mind is reeling, he had never seen such a beautiful woman, and somehow she's in the arms of the fucking mutt?! He even has her tied up! He never would've dreamed his boss was into kinky stuff, 'He doesn't even go to the brothels when he sends the men on shore leave. How in the hell did I miss this?' The woman, even though being tied up breaks into a large grin, and he feels his heart race. 'What a stunning woman, and if she thinks the mutt is good, she should wait and spend some time with me. I can definitely show her a good time.'

After watching for a minute he decides to get close enough to hear them. He stays in the shadows, and makes sure he remains downwind. After carefully sneaking closer he hears her voice and he can't help but smile. It sounds so melodious, like the music of the sea, although she is speaking English instead of his native Japanese.

"_Humans do not trust my kind. If they learn of my existence then I and my people are in great danger."_

This catches his attention, 'Her kind? Isn't she human?' He tries to catch her scent, but he can't distinguish it around all the other scents. She smells human enough from here. Then the mutt's voice comes out almost as a growl. "_Take a good look at me, Wench. D'ya think humans trust my kind?" _Her response is quick and she sounds confused, "_I do not understand, are you not a human?"_

'Damn I guess she is flawed, she can't even tell the damn mutt isn't human, is she blind?' The mutt's playful voice brings him out of his thoughts, "_You tell me first, Wench. You look and smell human to me. I would have been able to tell if you were a demon. I don't think you are a gami, and so that means that whatever you are is out of my realm of knowledge. So tell me what you are, and I'll tell you what I am. I can assure you I won't let anyone hurt you._"

Someone is trying to hurt her. Maybe if the mutt goes to defend her, he will have the opportunity to get her someplace safe. "_If I trust you with this knowledge, and I __do_ _believe you will not hurt me, then I still will not tell you my hiding place, or where my island is. I cannot give any one, human or otherwise, that much power over me."_

He can only see the back of Inuyasha's head, but he can see the determination set in his shoulders, "_I don't think anyone can have power over you, wench. However, you may keep your secrets. If you don't wish to tell me what you are, then don't, I just won't be revealing anything to you either. I will however keep you safe. I won't let others hurt you._"

Then his heart skips a beat when he sees the most brilliant smile light up her face. He can't help but sigh aloud and then he catches himself and hopes Yash didn't hear him eavesdropping.

"_What is your name, if not 'Yash'?" _Yash responds gruffly, "_Are you trying to change the subject? Fine, I'm gonna stick with my previous answer; you tell me yours, I'll tell you mine." _

'How in the hell can he talk like that to a lady?' But she seems to take it in stride and nods in acceptance, "_My name is Kagome. No one other than my own species knows my name. I am a selkie. I am a seal. Our species can become a human, but regular humans tend to distrust us. They feel we are tricksters or they discover how to trap us and enslave us. I have lost friends and loved ones to greedy humans who desire to use us. My mother warned me not to ever trust a human. But it seems you are not human either. Perhaps you are to be trusted."_

'A seal?!' His jaw drops slightly, this woman must be insane or lying. 'Who in the hell would believe a story like that?' Yash doesn't seem as perturbed with how quickly he responds, "My name is Inuyasha, _I am a hanyou. In Japan we have creatures that are called youkai. I am half youkai, half human. As a half breed I am really not accepted by either. My father was a dog demon, hence the ears. So yeah, I know how it feels to have no one trust you." _Kouga senses the wind preparing to change direction and backs away a bit. Unfortunately that means he doesn't hear the rest of the conversation, but he can make an appearance and act as if he had been looking for Yash.

He backtracks a bit then comes strolling up the beach, "Yash! The boar is done cooking, and we have the injured already fed. Miroku wants to know what you think we should do about shelter." As he approaches, he makes sure to catch the eye of the gorgeous woman still tied to- wait, is that a chest? As Inuyasha stands up, he takes a cursory glance at the stuff on the beach. It's some of the stuff from the ship, there is no way they could have gotten it off the seabed. He manages to draw his attention back to Yash who is already talking.

"-something to house the wounded in at least, but if the weather holds we might be okay to crash on the beach. Apparently some stuff washed on shore and I was trying to see if any of it was gonna be helpful. Most of it is filled with water, but some of it may be salvageable. Go get a few men and we can haul it back." His tone leaves no room for argument, but he grins at the lovely lady who is still tied to the chest, "So Yash, is she part of our sunken treasure now? It seems a pity to leave such a pretty thing tied up." It is as if his words reminded Yash of the girl's existence, and he gently pushes her behind him, as if now hiding her from view erases her existence.

"Come on now, Yash, you definitely shouldn't hide such a precious treasure. Where did you find her? We haven't seen any local villages." Yash just snorts and remains where he is blocking the view of the maiden. He can see where her fist is gripping his suikan on his back, causing it to wrinkle. The other fist remains dangling still slightly in view, "I take it she found the stuff that washed on shore and that's why you tied her up, to make sure she doesn't try to steal all of it?"

Yash just shrugs, "it doesn't matter, I've spoken to her and she has agreed not to steal anything. Just go get a few of the men." At the word steal his suikan wrinkles more deeply as she grips harder. He finally decides to just bide his time and wait for his opportunity, and turns around to seem like he's obeying orders. Once out of sight he backtracks through the trees to see what happens with this woman. Yash has turned around and is untying the knot around her wrist, "_I didn't mean it, don't give me that look. But if I didn't tell him something he wasn't going to stop asking questions. Now if I help get the 2 chests that I need hidden in the water can you get them to your hiding place?" _Her face is downtrodden but she nods in response.

She wades into the water until the water is above her knees. "_I need them at least this deep, I won't be able to take them with me right now though. I have to change first." _'Change?' Yash seems to understand rather quickly, "_Why can't ya just change here? I don't know how much time I have before my men start showing up to help me carry these, and I'd rather have these gone by then."_

Kagome shakes her head, "_You can hide them in the deeper water, but I can't change here. I don't have what I need. I will come back for them, just take them in deeper I promise I will be back as soon as I can." _Then she dives into the water and does not resurface. Kouga decides he'd better go grab a few men quickly before Yash gets suspicious.

"Ginta, Hakkaku, Yoshiharu, Akikane, and Shigemori; Yash needs help carrying some stuff, follow me." Once everyone is following him he stops, "I have to go relieve myself, I'll be back soon. Follow the beach and sure as sunrise you'll find him with some stuff that washed up on shore." With that said he bounds into the trees and runs as fast as he can so he can watch for the girl.

He arrives just in time to see Yash dump the second chest into a deep spot of the water and the girl is standing in the water next to him. Her voice is soft and timid, "_I'll come back and get it quickly, just don't pay attention to anything you see, I'd rather not have anyone else know my secret. I can't imagine what would happen."_ Yash just nods in answer and wades through the water easily. Kagome takes a few deep breaths and dives under the water, he waits and watches, to see her come back up.

In the meantime, Ginta, Hakkaku, Yoshiharu, Akikane, and Shigemori have shown up. Ginta speaks up, "Yash, Kouga had to go relieve himself, but he told us to come help carry some stuff back." Yash nods and grabs a chest in each hand, "Yeah, everyone grab at least one, two if you can. These happened to wash up on shore, and I figured we can see what's salvageable. Let's get them back and grab a bite to eat." Then he starts walking back toward their makeshift campsite, following the beach easily.

Everyone grabs a chest except for Ginta and Hakkaku who, since they are full demons, grab one in each hand. All of the chests that were on the beach are being carried away and soon everyone is out of sight. Kouga is still hiding, waiting. 'There must be a cave or something she knows about that is close by, there's no way anyone could hold their breath that long. Finally he sees movement in the water and he sneaks out of the treeline to investigate. Unfortunately it's not the girl, just some weird animal. As he gets closer he sees it grabbing the chests in it's mouth. Instantly he dives into the water, he was more than willing to steal the goods, but he won't let someone else steal them.

The creature lifts the chest and swims away as quickly as it can. He sees the direction it's taking and decides to follow it. He stays under water until he almost can no longer hold his breath, then he spots a cave. He diverts from the creature and swims through the cave. It doesn't take him long to come above water, the cave was dark, but had some sort of glowing stuff on the walls so it wasn't pitch black. As he entered he could smell the girl, but there was another odd scent here as well. It smelled like some kind of creature, but one he had never smelled before. He was about to go onto the shore when he heard movement in the water.

The same creature he had been following showed up dragging one of the chests. It drags the chest to the edge of the water, then swims back out of the cave without noticing him in the shadows. He debates for a moment then decides to stay put long enough to see if the creature comes back. It seems to take quite a long time but finally it has dragged both of the chests Yash wanted hidden into the cave. Then it crawls up on the shore in the corner and disappears from sight, for a moment.

He is about to go follow it when the girl appears instead, completely naked but holding a very worn and tattered dress. She pulls it over her head and grabs one of the chests to drag further out of the water. She seems to be struggling with its bulk, compared to the other creature. He silently circles around to where the creature disappeared to and finds a strange lump of what feels like rubber. He picks it up for a moment but the second his hand touches it he hears her gasp in response. It drops from his hand and he looks up and his deep blue eyes lock with her stormy gray ones.

In her eyes all he can see is absolute terror. He has no idea where the creature went, or what this lump of material is to her, but he knows he has to calm her down before she blabs to Inuyasha. "_Hey, don't be afraid. Yash sent me." _He knows it's a lie, he just hopes she'll buy it long enough for him to- to- what in the hell is he gonna do? Tie up this innocent girl and leave her in here? He can't do that, she'll die. Plus he can't imagine letting a gorgeous woman like this die, especially since he can tell by her scent that she's never known the pleasure of being touched by a man. At these words her demeanor drops as if she has been betrayed, and she steps farther away from him, closer to the water.

He steps towards her as if to follow her, but she stops and her eyes widen. "_Yash did not send you. How did you follow me?"_ The fear still lingered but there was also a fire in her eyes that showed her anger, and made her even more beautiful. He couldn't help a half smile from forming, he had been with many women, but it would not stop him from being with her. He wanted her more than he had wanted any woman he could ever remember encountering.

"_He did send me, he was worried you wouldn't be able to move the chests on your own,"_ still bluffing, he had to see if he could convince her. She was gorgeous, smart, and feisty. Exactly how he liked them.

"_You lie to me. Leave this place immediately._" She stands up straighter as if finding her own courage. "_You will never win. Leave now. Yash will know of your betrayal no matter what."_ She stands tall knowing she would easily be overpowered if he chose.

"_Sorry dollface, as I said he sent me. If he didn't, how would I know you are a selkie?"_ The shock on her face almost gives him pause, although he usually didn't have a problem with lying, he was actually good at it if it suited his purposes, and in this instance he had a good motivator. "_He unfortunately didn't quite believe your story so he sent me to follow you and make sure you weren't actually going to steal his chests. That's where I come in. But I told him you seemed trustworthy and I believed you. Unfortunately, he is the boss and I do what I'm told. So here I am."_

He sees a moment of doubt cross her features, then that fire again. She carefully approaches him, determination in her stride. Then she walks right by him picks up the piece of cloth and walks back to the water's edge. She is about to jump in, when he grabs her arm and stops her. The fear is back and she tries to pull out of his grasp and he takes the cloth from her before she can stop him. "_It seems this cloth is rather important to you. I think I should just take it for safekeeping, don't you think?"_ Her eyes go wide, "_N-n-no. That's- give that back, please."_ Her fire has gone cold as if a bucket of water has washed away even the hottest embers. Her voice almost sounds as if it's begging. He can't help but think he would love to hear that voice begging for something else.

He holds the cloth closer to his own body to make sure she can't get it back. "_Why do you want this? You are already dressed, unlike you were earlier."_

Her eyes go wide and she glances down at her own body then looks back up and she puts her hand out, "_Give it back, or I will tell Yash you were trying to steal the chests he asked me to hide. He knew that someone would try, but to find out who it was will help him make the decision he has to make. Give it back now. It is not yours."_

He steps closer so that his body is almost touching hers but holds her cloth behind his back so she still can't reach it. "_Why not make it worth my while, gorgeous? Maybe you can convince me to give it back."_ She steps away from him and he follows her until he has her pinned against the wall and he is pressing up against her.

"_Who are you?" _Her voice is still trembling a bit, but she is trying to force a layer of calm into it. He can't help but grin, "_Dollface, there is no way I'm gonna tell you that. The only reason you are asking me that is because you think you should go tell Yash on me. Like I said though, he already knows I'm here. He didn't trust you."_

The hurt is apparent in her eyes for just a moment, then she regains control of herself. "_I believe it seems more likely that he doesn't trust you. Why else would he not follow me himself? If he did not trust me he would not have bothered asking me to hide his chests, besides if he trusted you he would not have need to hide the chests. Now as you are lying to me, and I can easily explain what you look like and he will know who you are, it matters not if I know your name. Give that back to me."_ She extends out her hand waiting for him to hand it back, "_Give it back to me and leave this place and I won't cause you trouble."_

He chuckles darkly at her. "_Gorgeous, the only one who is gonna be in any trouble here is you. He didn't want you to be the only one who knew where the treasure was hidden, that's why he sent me."_

She scowls at him when he begins chuckling, but finally nods, "_Fine, then you grab one and I'll grab the other and you and he can find another place to hide them and I will not be helping. If I am not trustworthy then there is no point in expecting me to help, and this way he can see that you did as you were asked and told me that he didn't trust me. Come, let's grab the chests."_ With this she reaches down to try to drag one of the chests back into the water, and when she gets it almost in the water he grabs her to pull her away.

She yanks the chest as hard as she can and drops it on his foot and there is an audible crunch as several bones break. At the same time, several things happen all at once. First, he releases her while his arms fling outward. Second, he releases her skin and it flies across the cave landing who knows where. Third, he falls backward onto his backside, letting out a loud howl.

Kagome falls backward with a thud as his hand releases her. Her eyes dart to look where her skin flew, but he is already getting up. ven hobbling, he is coming after her. She looks into his eyes that used to be a deep blue, but now they have turned bright red. She jumps into the water and swims as fast as she can to the surface. She knows he's following her, but luckily with his injured foot he couldn't keep up and she easily reaches the surface first and runs towards Yash's campsite. After running for what felt like forever, she hears the other man splashing around trying to hobble out of the water, but she doesn't dare look back.

She is almost at the campsite, but she can hear him getting closer. She knows she won't make it to the campsite before he catches her in the open terrain, and she doesn't want the humans he travels with to know of her existence without talking to him first. She makes a last minute decision and plunges towards the trees. With his broken foot he won't be able to keep up with her through the undergrowth.

Kouga sees her run into the trees and slows down. He can barely walk as it is; luckily he has an incredibly high pain tolerance, and if she isn't heading toward Yash then he doesn't have to continue to chase her down. He just needs to stick near Yash to prevent her from talking to him.

He soon reaches the campsite, the little vixen is no where in view, and Yash is helping dish out food to the wounded. He glances up, when they lock eyes, Kouga can see that he's irritated. After a deep breath from both parties Yash stands up and approaches. As he gets closer he opens his mouth as if he is about to speak when his eyes drift to Kouga's shoulder. As Kouga's eyes go to follow his gaze, Yash reaches up and pucks a long black wavy hair from his shoulder, and brings it to his nose. After a slow sniff his eyes go wide.

"Where exactly have you been Kouga? It doesn't seem likely that you fell down emptying your bladder. Nor that it would take you that long. It seems you found my new friend and wanted to welcome her. Which would explain your limp. I take it she wasn't interested in you like you wanted, is that how you got hurt?" He didn't wait for a response, "Miroku, keep Kouga comfortable and make sure he stays close." He glances back to see Miroku nodding and he walks past Kouga and back toward the beach.

After a few steps away from the camp he catches her scent leading into the treeline, and takes off at a sprint. He was surprised to notice that she seemed to be heading towards his campsite with a few strange changes in direction. At one point he stopped when it seemed she changed direction and bypassed an area just to continue on towards his campsite, and it was then he realized she was trying to stay downwind. She didn't want her scent to be noticed in his campsite. He sped up, she didn't smell hurt but he could smell a very strong terror in her. When he finally reaches her she is stumbling through the brush. He immediately feels tension leave his shoulders when he sees she's not injured.

"_Kagome, did that fucker hurt you?"_ She spins as if yanked at the sound of his voice, then crumples to the ground. He smells relief replace her terror as he crouches next to her. Her voice is a whisper, "_Inuyasha, I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do. Did I hurt him?"_ He can't keep a grin from spreading, "_Keh! Dummy, if he was trying to hurt you, I'm glad you hurt him. Did he hurt you?"_ With this last question his ears droop slightly. He watches as all the tension seems to leave her shoulders and her soft smile is dazzling. She gently shakes her head, "_He tried to steal the chests and now he knows where they are. I will bring them back, I don't know where else I can hide them. But I can look for another hiding place. Will they be damaged if they are left underwater? I can hide them back in the ship. No one else will be able to get them there."_

He takes a deep breath and debates for a moment. "_I'll make sure he can't get to them, or you anymore. They can stay in your hiding place. I'm sorry I didn't keep you safe from him."_

She just shakes her head and smiles gently, "_It's not your job to protect me. I knew coming here would be a dangerous endeavor. I'll be going back home soon, so I will show you the hiding place. I don't belong here, I'm not a part of this world." _She leaves the other half unsaid, '_Unfortunately I don't really fit in with my family either, I guess I don't belong anywhere.' _She never lets the smile disappear, but can feel the falseness of it, and hopes he can't see through it.

Inuyasha can clearly tell she was putting on an act to be strong, he just can't figure out why. She had been so open and honest with him when they were on the beach, he is wracking his brain to figure out what had changed. 'I mean, sure, I had her tied up at the time, but she still spoke to me and trusted me, what the hell happened?' Finally it dawns on him, he looks up and meets stormy blue eyes, "_Kagome, what did Kouga say to you?"_

Her smile finally vanishes and she immediately drops her gaze to the sand beneath her feet, "_He didn't really say anything. Just that you sent him to help me with the chests, but I knew he was lying." _Even while speaking she never looks up at him, her eyes dart around at anything and anything except him. He feels a growl rise in his chest, then stands up to his full height and stomps off. Kagome is left sitting in the brush alone, '_I'm better off alone. I can't be hurt by someone if I'm alone. That's why momma always said not to trust humans.' _She looks in the direction he walked away in and can't keep the sadness out of her mind, '_But he wasn't human, why couldn't I trust him?'_


	4. Chapter 4

Inuyasha storms off to the campsite to deal with the fucking wolf. He had to figure out what the fuck that prick said to change Kagome's demeanor. Kouga was sitting by the fire, eating a helping of the boar, Miroku keeping an eye on him with Ginta and Hakkaku sitting next to him. Inuyasha's voice came out as a growl. "Everyone leave, now! Kouga and I need to have a talk."

Ginta's and Hakkaku's tails tuck between their legs and they leave immediately and Miroku only dawdles for a moment before heading to check on the wounded. Kouga straightens up but doesn't flinch. Inuyasha's voice is deep and guttural. "Now, you wanna tell me your side of the story, you bastard?"

"Don't get your dog ears in a knot. All I told her was that I was there to help her. I didn't think she should carry such heavy chests on her own."

The glare Inuyasha levels at him spoke volumes, "Bullshit, you lying sunova bitch. You and I both know I can smell when you lie. You have one more chance before I eviscerate you and leave your corpse for the buzzards!"

Kouga stays quiet for a minute, then after a loud sigh, "Fine! I told her you sent me there so I could see where the hiding place was. I just figured a pretty dame like that, we could have had a good time. And don't tell me you weren't thinking the same. Hell you pervy mutt, you had her tied up. I never knew you were the kinky type."

A deep blush spread across Inuyasha's cheeks for a second but Kouga doesn't have time to make a comment before he feels a fist collide solidly with his face. He falls into the sand in a lump, having not been ready to defend himself. Before he stands up, Inuyasha steps onto his back with one foot holding him down to the ground. His voice is a deep growl that makes Kouga's hair stand on end.

"Listen, Wolf! Don't go near her again! Don't talk to her. Don't look at her. Don't even fucking think about her! This will be your only warning for this. And for the record, if you ever talk about me like that again, I will fucking slit your throat and watch you bleed to death! I am fucking done playing with you, you pathetic excuse for a creature!"

Inuyasha stomps down hard with his foot to emphasize his words then removes it. He stands behind Kouga wondering how he will respond, then realizes he has one more thing to say.

"Also, if you don't think you can continue following orders you'd better decide that now, because we are gonna have enough problems on a damn deserted island and I won't let an enemy walk away. Make your choice carefully."

He allows the silence to grow between them, waiting for a response of some sort. Kouga sits up slowly and splays his hands above his head in submission. "Yash, we've known each other for a long time. I know we haven't always gotten along, but if ever there was a battle I would never want you on the opposing side. I'm sorry if you think I acted out of turn. I guess I never thought about you having a woman, since you've shown no interest in that sort of thing. I don't want to fight you, partly because I don't know if either of us would survive, but even if one of us did, there would be no winners. I've known you since your brother brought you in after your dad died. You were a young pup, and I know we both fought back then. We both wanted to be the alpha. Lucky for us, your brother had no problem showing us he was the only alpha, thereby eliminating the squabbles and giving us a common enemy."

He turns around slowly and lowers his hands to the sand to lift himself up. "I gotta say Yash, I'm glad you finally found a woman. I shouldn't have tried to take her from you. I know you've never had something like that before. I thought you just wanted to fuck her. I didn't understand that you would have feelings for her, especially since you just met her."

Inuyasha growls for a second then his ears flatten. "Man, I don't know what happened. She's different somehow. And she needs my help. I honestly don't know why or how, but I've gotta help her."

"All right Yash, I'm sorry. I told her you didn't trust her and that's why you sent me. I also told her some things I may have overheard you two saying before. So probably some stuff I shouldn't have known, telling her it was you that told me. And I got to say the look she gave me… I might as well have just ripped her heart out and stomped on it. I don't know how to fix that, so you'll have to. Especially if you never want me to see her or talk to her again."

The glare Inuyasha levels at him would have set a lesser being on fire. Luckily for Kouga he had known Inuyasha too long for his glare to affect him. His fists and claws yes, but not his glares. "Kouga so help me, if you fucked this up I will kill you." His voice was so deep and gravelly it might as well have been rocks grinding against each other.

He took off at a sprint to get back to Kagome, Kouga still sitting on the beach, thanking the Kami that he was still alive. He'd never seen Yash that pissed and he doubted he would have truly survived if Yash intended to kill him.

Kagome watches Yash disappear into the trees and head back towards his campsite. She stands and brushes herself off. She wants to trust him so much, but her kind is not meant to trust anyone. She heads back to the sea so she can go find her skin. As she's walking, she gets this feeling someone is watching her but a quick glance shows nothing out-of-place, so she continues on her way. She reaches the beach in a matter of moments and wastes no time in diving into the cool blue water.

It only takes another minute of swimming to get to her cave and she finds her skin fast enough. She doesn't put it on as it is easier to find a new hiding place in her human form carrying the skin, than wearing her skin and carrying a dress in her seal form. She stays underwater hoping to find a new cave but unfortunately none of them have an air space inside them, and it is almost impossible to swim to one, change her form, and swim back to the surface in one breath. She has to find an underwater cavern, or she will have to find somewhere on land that most people wouldn't find. She knows the locals believe her species existence to be fairy tales, but it's entirely possible some of them currently are aware of her species actual existence.

She arrives on shore after searching for what feels like hours, but is surely only about an hour if not less, and begins hiking towards the cliff face she knows of on the western side of the island. She hates going there as the rocks cut up her human feet, but she's out of options. She promised Yash she wouldn't go home until he knew everything was safe and had the chests, and she couldn't stay in her hiding spot as now someone knew about it. She'd never felt more vulnerable, and it truly terrified her. Not to mention the creepy feeling of being watched was back and so she quickens her pace trying to outrun the more than likely non-existent person following her.

After another 10 minutes of walking she arrives at the cliff face and her feet are already bleeding in a few places. She finds a vine which she ties off to climb down, but she's not sure about her strength. She's never done anything like this before. Her species swims, they are more interested in water not the sky. Her heart is pounding as if trying to escape her own chest. She shakes her head, astounded at her own stupidity and gives in. She slings her own skin over her shoulder and tucks it under the sleeve of her dress so she can't lose it. Her hands grip the vine before lowering herself to the ground and slowly heaving her body off the side.

Her fingers are nowhere near strong enough to hold up her body weight and as she slides down, she feels the skin tear from her human hands and she hisses in pain. Tears spring unbidden to her eyes as blood now makes it even harder to grip. What in all the seven seas was she thinking?! She should never have agreed to stay; she shouldn't have butted in at all. What is she doing? She's more than likely going to die today because of her stubbornness and desire to help someone she didn't even know!

Her mother will assume someone has kidnapped her and have no closure. Her beloved best friend and sister Sango will find her body among the rocks below. Sango didn't enjoy being a human as much as she did, but she enjoyed exploring the island. What a small solace that is. Her mother may find out she died being stupid and is not suffering. These thoughts occur in seconds, and she struggles so hard to hold on to the stupid vine even though her fingers are throbbing in pain. She never imagined it would be that hard to climb. She'd seen so many people do it, and they all made it look so easy.

She squirms a bit, trying to figure out a way to get closer to the rock wall and hoping to find a foothold. Unfortunately, this only causes her to smack her body against the wall, eliciting a loud cry as the breath leaves her lungs in a whoosh! Now she can't catch her breath, she can't hold on and she's so scared as tears stream down her face and blood streams down her wrists, dripping off her shoulders. Her dress is absorbing minute amounts, but since it was already soaked with seawater, it didn't make much difference.

She tries so hard to catch her breath and hold on, then she hears a voice she knows.

"Kagome! Fuck, what the hell are you doing down there?!" Inuyasha is standing above her at the top of the face of the cliff, she glances up and the second he meets her gaze he wraps one hand around the vine and descends towards her.

Her eyes widen in absolute terror. How is he going to stop? Will the vine hold both their weights? What was he even doing here and how in the seven seas did he find her? He slides down with grace and easily stops right before his hand could collide with hers. His arm wraps around her waist and pulls her from the vine against himself.

"Are you all right? Come on. Let's get back up top and we can get your hands treated." He doesn't wait for her to respond before he yanks them up with his one hand, sending them flying upward where he grabs ahold of the vine again. He repeats this action until they are back on solid ground. "What in the hell were you doing down there? You're lucky I smelled your blood and came to get you! You idiot, were you trying to get yourself killed?"

Kagome can't help but shrink away from him as he raises his voice. She knows Kouga was lying but she can't help but think the worst. Why would he trust her? He didn't know her. Even if she had trusted him. She had never trusted anyone before, and it was clear now she shouldn't have. Her mother was right, humans couldn't be trusted. How else did Kouga know all those things he shouldn't have?

The words are out of her mouth before she can stop them. She speaks in a soft whisper full of hurt. "Why? Why did you betray me Inuyasha?" Tears spring anew in her eyes and she tries to stifle a sob.

A tall man with long dark hair and eyes such a dark brown they looked black in the dim light walks down a path picking fruits they needed in his village, when he sees a young woman with long black wavy hair walk by him. 'Who could that gorgeous maiden be?' She wasn't from his village and there are only two groups on the island and being they trade regularly he knows he would've noticed her before. He can't resist following her. He needs to meet her.

As she walks, he keeps up easily while keeping his distance to remain unnoticed. He notices she has a strange rubber like cloth in her hand. He stares hard at it trying to see what it was. The realization hits him like a punch in the gut and a wicked grin spread across his face; his voice is deep as he whispers to himself, "So, this is a Selkie. Someone told me their beauty was unrivalled by humans. I will definitely make her mine. All I need to do is get her skin." He continues following her, waiting for the opportunity to snatch it from her. Someone had spread the legends since before he was born. Most of the people in his village didn't quite believe them anymore, but now he knew they were real.

He stops at the edge of the trees as she rushes out to the cliff. Everything in him wants to stop her, unsure of what she is planning, but then he sees her tying off a vine. He continues to wait, assuming this is something she has done before as she shows no signs of hesitation. Until she grabs the vine throws herself over and he hears her making piteous sounds, and whimpers of pain. He can't stop the slight sneer; she has made this so easy for him. If he saves her, he can steal her skin and make her his before the sun is close to setting. He is about to leave the treeline, when a red and silver blur zooms out from the same place she came from.

The being stands at the edge for only a second and has two dog-like ears twitching on top of his head. He looks over the edge and his voice is gruff and angry. "Kagome! Fuck, what the hell are you doing down there?!"

The monster, which is the only word he can think of for a being with those ears, grabs the vine and easily leaps down. 'Damn', he curses mentally. He'll have to find her again later. Apparently there is someone else who also wants her skin. He sneaks a little farther away but stays close enough to see. "Kagome?" He can't stop the grin from returning as he thinks about his soon-to-be wife. He will have her. Not even the monster will stop him.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Firstly: thank you Eternalnight for helping with the editing

Secondly: Trigger warning, non-consensual occurences

Lastly: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters herein

Ch 5

When Yash can't find Kagome where he left her, he follows her scent as quickly as he can. He is almost out of the treeline when he smells her blood and his heart pounds in his chest. Why is he panicking over a woman he barely knows? Stupid girl, she told him she was in danger. Why did she run off on her own? Well, not that it mattered since he'd left her alone; she might have been fleeing from someone. This is the second time he failed to protect her in only a couple of hours. He had to get to her now!

He bursts out of the trees and comes to a stop at the edge of a cliff. He can hear her soft whimpers from over the edge and he feels like his heart has jumped up to his throat! He peers over and sees her gripping what looks like a vine, as she dangles off the face of the fucking cliff. Is she completely fucking mental? What in the hell was she trying to do?

"Kagome! Fuck, what the hell are you doing down there?!" The words leave his mouth before he has time to think about them, then he grabs the vine and with an ease borne from decades on a ship and climbing the rigging, he slides down to get to her. He easily stops right before his hand touches hers on the vine and he wraps his other arm around her waist to hoist her up. He can see now that her hands are bleeding, one rather badly, from rope-burns. She must not have been able to hold herself up on the vine, which would make sense, she probably has never climbed anything if she's a seal.

"_Are you all right? Come on. Let's get back up top and we can get your hands treated_." He pulls her closer and uses his left hand to yank them upwards and grab the rope higher. After a few jumps he pulls them up over the edge of the cliff and he still can't seem to control his mouth around her, "What in the hell were you doing down there? You're lucky I smelled your blood and came to get you! You idiot, were you trying to get yourself killed?"

He feels a fresh pang of guilt when she shrinks away from him like he would hurt her and he is about to try to comfort her when he hears her whisper to him, "_Why? Why did you betray me Inuyasha?_" Then she begins sobbing.

His jaw drops, and he is more hurt than he has ever felt before. 'Betray her, that fucking wolf is dead.' He takes a deep breath and even though she fights him, he pulls her into his arms and holds her against him as she sobs quietly.

"_I didn't betray you. That fucking wolf was eavesdropping on our conversation. I would never tell your secrets to anyone; they aren't mine to tell. Besides, there's no way in hell I'd want to share with that asshole when I'd rather have you all to myself_." His own eyes go wide with the words that just came out of his mouth. He hears her sobs stop as she gasps at his words and looks up as her cheeks turn a bright pink. Well, that was more than he intended to say, but at least she stopped crying.

She looks up at him with those big blue eyes, and he can't help but smile. "_I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I should've been more on guard, but I can promise he won't make that fucking mistake again. He knows he won't live the next time._" Her eyes go wide and she opens her mouth but he just shakes his head before she can say anything. "_No, I didn't hurt him this time. But I gave him one hell of a warning. He is not going to talk to you, look at you, or even think about you. Or he is very aware of how he will die."_ Her head shakes a little in response, bewildered by his impulsiveness.

"_Now what in the hell were you doing trying to climb down a fucking cliff? Your species barely comes out of the water and you wanna be a damn mountain climber?"_ She smiles at him until the last words when her face gets a very confused look.

"_Mmown-tin?" _Her voice is apprehensive as she sounds out the word, and he chuckles slightly.

"_A large rock formation, making the ground much higher than the surrounding area. You've never heard of a mountain before, huh? I suppose that makes sense. This island doesn't seem to have any. It doesn't matter. Come on, let's go clean up your hands."_ He pulls her up and they walk back towards his campsite, unaware of the most precious item she has dropped, as he ushers her away.

Unfortunately, someone has been watching and with a sadistic grin he goes to pick up her skin and carries it away. Now she has no choice but to be his forever. He must begin his preparations for his wife; she will be coming home with him soon.

He arrives at his small home and proceeds to dig a small hole underneath the west wall. Once he is almost two feet deep, he wraps her skin tightly and places it in the hole underneath the wall of the hut itself. He buries it quickly, putting the grass back so it isn't noticeable. He doesn't want to risk her ever finding it, lest he lose his control over her. He goes inside to prepare their bedding; he will make sure they christen it on her first night. His grin spreads again as he remembers the curves of her body and imagines them pressed against him. Soon he will get to experience all of her.

Last, he needs to get her some clothes to wear, as he imagines she has nothing other than the rags she's currently wearing. He goes to the market and trades a few of the pieces of fruit he had for a few of the dresses one of the main seamstresses makes. They weren't fancy but at least she will have a couple options until she can make her own. She'll learn quickly, not that she'll have a choice. She'll do anything and everything he tells her. Oh how much fun they will have together.

After he drops the clothes off at their hut, he figures he might as well head out and get his new bride from the monster who is holding her hostage. She needs to come home. There are chores that need done, and then she can learn to service a man properly. This will be a blessed night indeed.

Kagome and Inuyasha get to the edge of his camp and he sits her near a tree. He gets cloth for bandages and unfortunately alcohol for antiseptic from one of the chests she had brought back to shore earlier. He comes back with a grimace. "_Look, this is gonna hurt. But if you don't do it, then your hands could get infected. I'll wrap them afterwards, but first we have to clean them."_

She is shrinking away but doesn't actually move. He plops on the sand in front of her and tears the cloth into strips and drapes them across his leg. He firmly but carefully takes her hand in his, then pours some alcohol on her hand, she hisses and instinctively tries to yank her hand away, but his grip is firm. Her face scrunches up and her eyes water, but she doesn't make any other noises. He waits for the alcohol to dry and wraps her hand in bandages, and repeats it for the other hand. Her reaction was a little better for the second one, but he can still smell her tears.

"_How about I bring us a bite to eat? We cooked plenty of food. Wait, do you have to eat fish?"_ Inuyasha stares at her as she seems to think for a minute then she smiles sheepishly and shrugs.

"_I've never eaten anything but fish, and I can go get myself something to eat, you go ahead. I'll be back in a bit,"_ She reaches up to her shoulder to pull her skin from where she had tucked it into her dress, but her eyes go wide when she feels nothing there. She jumps up from her seat and takes off at a sprint back towards the cliff.

His voice is right behind her, but she doesn't have time to stop, "_Kagome, where are you going? What happened?"_ Inuyasha follows close behind her confused as can be, but not willing to leave her alone, since he figured she couldn't keep herself out of trouble.

They get back to the cliff and by this point tears are streaming down her face, and she can't hold back her sobs. Inuyasha grabs her and pulls her close. "_Hey, what the hell is going on?"_ his voice is gruff, but tender. "_Come on, stop crying and tell me why the hell we just ran all the way back here."_ She sinks to the ground as her sobs calm down, and she struggles to catch her breath. He follows her to the ground and pulls her close to him. She lifts her head and their eyes meet, her deep blue ones are tinged with pink from crying, and he feels himself compelled with the strongest urge to protect her. He blushes when he realizes she is sitting on his lap, flush against his chest.

"_Come to me now, wife!" _Kagome's eyes go wide as her body obeys without her control. She tries to grab onto Inuyasha, but she can't move her own arms. As she straightens up she sees a man with dark hair and red eyes standing at the edge of the treeline. The tears fall freely again as she approaches this monster. Inuyasha lands in front of her and her body walks right into his solid back causing her to stumble back and land on her butt.

"_Who the fuck are you?"_ Inuyasha's voice is almost feral compared to the gentle soothing tone he had used but a moment ago. "_Kagome, stay behind me."_ Unfortunately, her body is no longer under her control. She rises from the ground and walks around Inuyasha. She glances over and sees his jaw drop open.

"_Wife, you will make sure that monster doesn't hurt me. If he tries to attack me, you will throw yourself in front of him."_ Sobs rack her small human frame, she should never have tried to come here. Luckily with these new orders, Inuyasha stays put, waiting to see what happens next.

"_Kagome, why? Just stop!"_

A dark chuckle permeates the area. "_She can't disobey me, you fool. She has no choice but to do what I say. She is all mine now. Monster, you could never have such an amazing creature anyway. Why would she want a beast like you when she could have me? She is all __**mine**__."_

Kagome's voice cuts through and stops his chuckle. "_Inuyasha, he took my skin. I must have dropped it after you pulled me up the cliff. If he has it, he can control me. I can't stop myself from listening to him. You have to-"_

"_Silence, wife!" _His voice booms and she finds her mouth open with no sound coming out. Tears are still streaming, and his smile is vicious. "_Don't worry, monster. I will make sure she knows every pleasure a wife should know. You go back to your crew. I will take my blushing bride so we can celebrate our newfound union."_

Inuyasha's growl starts as a low rumble. "_Bastard, you will not have her! I promised to protect her from creeps like you. I find it fascinating that you call me 'monster' when you are the one trying to kidnap and rape a young woman. Kagome, I'll fix this. I promise. Just… just hold on."_

Kagome reaches the would-be kidnapper and he takes her hand in his gently, lifting it to his lips and kissing the back of her knuckles. "_Don't worry, darling. I will make sure you know joy. Come with me, we'll go home now."_ He turns around and her feet force her to follow him through the brush. Inuyasha watches her disappear before he drops to the ground smelling for the scent of that thing she had been carrying before. If he can follow the scent he can free her, but how in the hell is he gonna follow a scent he doesn't fucking know?!

Kagome and her kidnapper arrive at a quaint little hut slightly outside the village, "_Enter, wife. I have made you dinner. After you eat, we can talk. I can't wait to learn more about you."_ She glares at him, but he seems to take no notice of her displeasure, instead seating himself in front of a small table. He dishes up food for her then himself while she stands there stiffly. "_Of course, how could I forget? Sit."_ Her body obeys no matter how much she tries to fight it. "_Eat."_ She takes the plate and takes a small bite, trying to find some way to fight this. The tears have mostly stopped; she might as well resign herself to this servitude. The stories are rare of selkies escaping, and if they do, it's usually after several years.

She glances through the window and realizes she can't even see the sea from here, what a terrible prison for such as she. But perhaps she deserved this, running around on land talking to humans. Well, sort of. Why couldn't she just have listened to her mother? Did she really think somehow she was impervious to the greed of humans? '_Yeah, I guess I did. I honestly thought Inuyasha could protect me. I barely knew him, but I trusted him. I am such a fool. Now I will pay the ultimate price for my narcissism.'_ She feels a sigh leave her as she takes a second bite.

"_So your name is Kagome?" _She remains silent, not wanting to talk to this hideous creature. "_You can talk to me."_ She stares at the table, not wanting to meet the eyes of this cruel man who decided he was worthy without her say so. "_Well I, my wife, am Naraku. I must say you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. When I first saw you, I doubted you were real. I actually had you pegged for some ethereal being with your exquisite beauty and I am so happy that you are truly mine."_

"_I am NOT yours. I belong to NO one!" _She surprises herself with this outburst, and her face sinks back to stare at the table again. She can't even remember looking up at him. He will definitely kill her, if she doesn't do everything he asks of her. Not that she can actually say no, but if she causes too much trouble he will probably think her not worth it and just tell her to die. '_Oh no, if he tells me to die, will I? Does my skin give him that much control over me?' _Tears begin streaming again. '_Mom, I'm so sorry.'_

"_Wife, look at me." _Her face raises an inch and she pulls her eyes away after only a second. She doesn't want to look at this monster. His voice comes as a boom, "_I said look at ME!"_ Her eyes lock onto his and the terror in her eyes is clear to him. He smiles wickedly, "_Good, I want you to be afraid. You must be, so you know who to obey. You are mine and you will do as I command. Now you will answer every one of my questions. Do you understand?"_

She nods slowly, afraid to speak without being told to. "_Now, as I had asked before, your name is Kagome, right?"_ She nods again, still unsure of what to do. "_Now, how long have you hidden on our island, my little seal?" _Her eyes go wide, how can she answer this without telling everything about her family.

Her voice is soft and timid. "_I've been on the island for a moon."_ Is it possible he won't ask further about her family? Not that he can get to her island unless he has a boat. Oh, he might have a boat! These emotions flit across her face one after the other, but Naraku doesn't seem to notice or care.

"_Only a month? Really? I am so lucky that I could find you then. So I see you aren't eating much. Do you have any food you prefer? I will do my best to get it for you."_ She shakes her head slightly, still unsure. "_Tell me."_

"_I don't know what they are called."_ Her voice is practically a whisper. "_I find them in the ocean. They are red and have grabby hands,"_ with these words she uses her fingers to connect to her thumbs to mimic crab claws, "_with rounded bodies and legs that come out of each side of the body."_

His smile is almost sweet. "_Darling, that was adorable."_ Her cheeks turn bright red and her eyes are back on the table as he continues, "_So you like crab? That I can easily arrange. Perhaps tomorrow, for dinner. Do you know how to cook?"_ She shakes her head again, she's never had to cook, her species eats raw meat and plants. "_Very well then. I will start teaching you tomorrow. I'm sure you are as intelligent as you are beautiful and will learn quickly. Now finish eating so we may sleep."_

Her eyes go wide and she lowers her eyes to the food in front of her. '_He wants to sleep with me? But I don't even know him.'_ She glances around the hut and sees a small bed in the corner. "_How are we both going to fit on the bed?"_

His chuckle startles her and she realizes she must have spoken out loud. "_My dear, I will make sure we both fit. Now are you finished eating? It is time to make you mine."_

Kagome slinks away from the table towards the door, "_I'm not really tired yet, I would rather go take a walk?"_

"_Stop!"_ Her body stops in place and her head falls until her chin rests upon her chest. She was foolish to try to get away; he can control her with a single word. "_If you wish to go for a walk, we can do that, but you will walk by my side. Now, stand up."_ Her body rises from the ground of its own accord, but her eyes remain facing down. She feels his hand envelop hers. "_Come with me, we can take a walk." _Her body follows his out the door and down the path, while her mind is searching for a way to escape this hell she has found herself in.

Meanwhile...

Inuyasha finds a strange scent; he recognizes it as the scent he noticed when he first searched for Kagome when she vanished into the sea. As he follows it, he realizes he's going the same direction that man had taken Kagome. He will free her from that bastard.

At this point he takes off at a sprint following Kagome's and the freak's scent. It only takes him a few minutes running at his full speed to reach a small hut and he sees the bastard holding Kagome's hand as they walk down a small pathway. He stops himself from following them. He can't just take her from the guy; if he has her skin he can apparently control her.

Once they are out of sight he breaks into the guy's house and digs through every nook and cranny he can, but he can't even smell the thing in here. 'Does that mean the guy didn't bring it in here at all? He had to hide it somewhere else. I have to go back and trace the scent and see where it changed.'

As he leaves the house, he hears Kagome whimper from a wooded area off of the path, "_Please, no. Don't touch me like that. No, don't touch me there." _Then the loud slap of flesh on flesh reverberates the area.

His retort is harsh and cruel. "_Shut up and enjoy it, bitch."_ Her response is silent whimpers and moans that set his blood to boiling. Then everything went red.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch 6

A/N Trigger warning! Non-consensual activity to come.

Naraku and Kagome are walking on a small path that loops around the house and circles back. After walking for about 20 minutes, they could finally see the beach between the trees. She found herself at a standstill, looking longingly towards the sea, until his voice comes harsh and angry, "_Wife! Come here NOW!"_ Her body obeys, even though she tries so hard not to pull her eyes from the sea. When she is back next to him, he grabs her arm and loops it through his own as if by keeping her close he can somehow convince her to love him.

They only walk a little ways more before he grabs her by the upper arm and shoves her body against a tree. As he pushes her hard, she feels her head smack against the rough bark slightly and she winces in pain. His voice is rough and ragged in her ear, "_Stay nice and still, and I'll make sure you get some pleasure out of this too."_ Then he drags his hand up her side and swipes his hot tongue against her neck and down to her collarbone.

She tries to force her traitorous body to listen to her and not him, but to no avail. She is trapped more by his words than by his body pushing against her. The thick, sharp pieces of bark dig into her back and scrape her arms. As he leans more of his weight against her she feels a jagged piece break the skin and she hisses in response. At the sound, he pulls away giving her a chance to breathe. But it seems to be short lived as he grins wickedly and returns against her, this time palming her breast with one hand as the other slides up her leg, towards the apex of her thighs.

"_Please, no. Don't touch me like that. No, don't touch me there." _She hates how weak her voice comes out, but not as much as she hates herself for the tears that begin to drip down her cheeks. He continues to squeeze her breast, but his other hand stills on her thigh, ceasing its path then lifts off of her leg completely...

His hand flies and her head snaps to the side as it connects causing a loud snap, his voice comes out harsh and angry, "_Shut up and enjoy it, bitch." _She can taste blood in her mouth which goads a rise out of her. She tries to retort, but her body won't let her disobey him. The only thing she can do is whimper softly. No matter what, he can't make her enjoy it. He can order that, but with her skin he can control her body, not her mind. She will always be free to think on her own. Maybe that's not the blessing she thinks it should be. If she obeyed everything at least she wouldn't be sitting here thinking of someone else.

Imagining his rough voice speaking to her, even wishing it was him touching her. No, he would never want that, nor would he want her to feel like this. She's trapped in this hell, and nothing can change it. She tilts her head back until it smacks against the tree behind her, trying to ignore the feeling of this disgusting human touching her, never stopping the whimpers that seem to come from her very soul. Luckily for her it seems he's taken her whimpers as pleasurable moans, or else he is a sadist and likes causing pain. Who knows, she doesn't really want to find out.

As her eyes slide shut and tears stream freely down her cheeks she feels something wet splatter her face and Naraku's body fall away from her. Her eyes burst open to find Naraku holding his side, bleeding heavily, and glaring at someone who resembles Inuyasha. His eyes, instead of being beautiful gold, are a bright and angry red with blue irises. He has deep blue jagged marks adorning each cheek, and his growl is more feral than she had ever heard or imagined.

Inuyasha can see what he's doing, but he can barely restrain his anger to not outright murder the man. The only thing staying his claws is knowing that if he kills him he might not figure out where Kagome's skin is. He has failed to protect her twice, he was not willing to fail her again. He stalks forward with his claws extended and a growl still grinding in his throat. But Naraku lifts his head and actually smiles at him.

Kagome's mind screams his name, but her body is still stuck in compliance. Unfortunately, Naraku is still able to speak, "_Wife, stop him."_ He sends an evil smirk towards her hanyou, her heart is breaking as her body steps in between the two of them, giving Naraku a chance to stand back up. Inuyasha's body is poised and ready to strike, but stops as soon as she steps in front of him, and a small ring of gold now surrounds the red in his eyes. Now it's Inuyasha's turn to smirk wickedly, he leaps over Kagome easily and lifts Naraku by the throat stopping any other orders from escaping his lips.

Kagome, still stuck by the previous order, spins herself around and grabs his shirt, fisting it in her small hands. How can she stop him? His voice is more gravelly than she'd ever heard it, sounding like he was struggling to form words instead of growling. "_Tell her to stop, or I will kill you right now, fucker!"_

"_Stop!" _His voice is full of fear, but she can't prevent her body sagging in relief as her hand relaxes against Inuyasha's back.

"_Now, tell me where the fucking skin is, or I will litter this island with pieces of your corpse and no one will ever be able to rebuild the fucking puzzle."_ Her head snaps up at his words. Could the hanyou who spoke so sweetly and promised to protect her really be so violent? Then her mind went back to the Bird Women, and she realized he was perfectly capable of doing the things he had said. She snaps back when she sees Naraku's unconscious form slump in Inuyasha's hands. "_Come on, Kagome."_ His voice is much calmer now and when he turns around she sees the beautiful gold has returned completely.

He holds the unconscious form of Naraku in one hand, and gently pulls her to him with the other. Once she is safely against his chest, she sees his nose twitching and his eyes go wide. "_Where did this fucker hurt you?" _She opens her mouth but no words come out and her head drops as she realizes she's still trapped under the magic of her skin. She sucks on her lip in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Inuyasha grabs her chin to tilt her face towards him.

Her cheek is bright red and as he grazes his hand against it, she flinches at the pinch. "_Fucker. I'm sorry. I failed you again. Come on. Let's get you back."_ He scoops her up to his chest with one hand, drags Naraku's unconscious body with the other, and heads back to the hut.

As they arrive, he throws the unconscious form unceremoniously into the hut. She hears it collide with something, but she doesn't bother to look and see what it was, at the same time he gently stands her up and releases her waist. As she stands on her own Inuyasha enters the hut and she sees him rummaging through a chest, throwing things this way and that, not caring where things landed. Naraku is still unconscious, his body limp against the far wall.

Kagome approaches slowly, unsure what to do. She opens her mouth to speak but no words come out. She is still stuck complying to the order of '_Shut up'_. She glances around again and as her eyes fall on the bed the terror she felt finally hits her. Her hands wrap around her midsection and she bolts out of the door and lands in the bushes. Her body begins heaving long after her stomach has been emptied. After several more minutes of dry heaving, she finally is able to inhale and catch her breath. '_I was almost violated by that beast and I'm still stuck under his control. What if we can't find my skin, will I ever get home?'_

A loud bang and a string of curses brings her out of her own thoughts. "_Fucking asshole was lying!"_ She tries to stand, but her legs don't seem to be responding to her at the moment. "_Hey, dickhead! Wake the fuck up and tell me the damned truth!" _*SMACK* Her head snaps towards the sound ands she forces herself to crawl to the matted doorway. She lifts it nervously, she sees Inuyasha shaking Naraku roughly.

As his eyes finally open, Inuyasha's growls quiet down. "_Listen up! I told you not to lie to me. Now where the fuck is it?!"_

Naraku takes a deep breath and looks down as if contemplating. Then his dark chuckle resonates within the room, "_Kill him!"_

Kagome looks up and as their eyes meet he can see the absolute terror. She knows she stands no chance against the hanyou if he defends himself, but he won't do anything that would hurt her. Her body rises from the ground, and tears begin streaming down her face. What fresh hell is this? She can't free herself nor can she stop herself. She is completely trapped.

Inuyasha reaches behind himself and grabs a piece of clothing he had thrown out of the chest earlier and rips off a strip of cloth. He glances down at Naraku's smirk and takes a second to punch him in the face, knocking him unconscious again. Kagome has taken another step towards Inuyasha and the smell of salt hits him as the tears continue streaming.

"_Kagome, can you fight it at all?"_ Her mouth opens but she still can't speak. She closes it silently and shakes her head to tell him no. "_You know I won't hurt you, but I have to stop you from trying to hurt me too. D'ya understand?" _She nods while walking towards him, fighting every step slowing herself down any way she can, which she knows isn't much. She closes her eyes to try to clear away the tears so that she can see a bit and when she opens them he is gone. Her body stops moving of its own accord, having lost its goal.

Her arms are suddenly pulled behind her and tied with some sort of cloth. She turns her head and meets Inuyasha's eyes. He secures the knot behind her back then proceeds to quickly tie her legs to prevent her from walking anymore. She teeters and begins to fall over but he catches her with ease and carries her to the small bed in the corner.

"_Like I said, I won't hurt you. I'm gonna get you outta here once I find that damn thing he stole. Do you have any way of knowing where it is?"_ She shakes her head and sobs quietly to herself. "_I promise I'll find it and get you outta here. OK? Just try to calm down."_

She takes a few deep breaths to calm her body and mind down and he goes back to the wretch on the floor. He ties him up as well and places a gag over his mouth, then exits the hut, leaving her there. Kagome can turn her head but other than that she can't move much. She takes what little solace she has with the fact that he can't issue any more orders and she didn't try to hurt Inuyasha.

This has still been a day that she will never forget and all she wants to do is go home and never take her skin off again. Then her silver haired savior enters her mind, does she really want to never see him again? Can she really go home and accept the fact that he is stuck here on this island so close to her but not with her? He went to these lengths to save her, can she really desert him? Her mind is abuzz with these questions and thoughts. She can't live her life away from the sea forever, that's not where a selkie belongs. But, she knows with Inuyasha she would never have to give up any part of herself, not like with the evil creature currently unconscious on the floor a little ways away. How can she possibly know what to do when she can't currently do anything?

Meanwhile...

Inuyasha leaves the hut to pick up the scent that led him here. He needs to figure out where the bastard hid her fucking skin! As he returns to the scent trail, his mind is on autopilot, leaving him to think. What is she gonna do when he gives it back? Idiot! She was almost raped because of depraved humans, she's gonna go home where she belongs! He stops walking, and utters one word, "Fuck." His thoughts are spiraling out of control, 'I-I'm gonna lose her. I never even fucking had her, but I'm gonna lose her.' He shakes his head to dispel the very thought, 'I'd rather not have her if it isn't her choice, I'm not like the perverted psycho on the floor in there. She deserves to be free. She's part of the sea and that shouldn't be taken away from her.'

He gets back to the task of following the trail and comes to a recently dug up area under one of the hut walls, 'Really, that was a lot easier than I thought. I guess he really didn't expect a hanyou to come save the day. He figured he would be dealing with a compliant, petite woman. It wasn't his lucky day.' He quickly scoops out dirt until he feels a cloth material. He digs it out and returns to the front of the hut. 'Now she can go home. She can be safe from these psychos, even if I don't get to see her again, at least I'll know she's safe.'

He enters the hut and tears open the cloth wrapped package. He holds it up and Kagome's eyes widen and the smile she flashes is almost blinding, "_Kagome you're free to talk now."_ Tears are once again streaming down her face.

"_Inuyasha, thank you so much. I don't know how to repay you."_ Before she finishes the statement he is at her side cutting the bonds on her wrists and ankles. He gently scoops her up and heads toward the door.

"_Idiot, you don't have to repay me. Now come on, let's get outta here. I'll come back and deal with __him_ _later."_ She is somehow shocked by the venom in his voice. She shouldn't be. After all, she more than anyone should want this man to suffer but it isn't in her nature to harm others, or want them to be harmed.

"_Inuyasha, do you have to kill him?"_

His jaw drops as he stares incredulously at her. "_Are you fucking kidding me? The bastard kidnapped you, made you obey every fucking thing he could think of then he tried to rape you! Why wouldn't we kill him? What if he manages to find you or even another selkie later? Would you be willing to put one of your family members at risk?"_

Her head drops as she realizes the danger this human poses to her friends and family. Inuyasha is definitely right. But should that be a death sentence? She finds herself nodding before she remembers she can speak, "_You can do what you think should be done. I just don't think he should die. But you know more of the human world than I do. This is something I knew was possible when I came here, but my fascination and curiosity brought me here. I made the decision to put myself at risk. But I will leave the decision up to you."_

He scoffs gently, "_How in the hell can you be so forgiving after that bastard tried to rape you? And taking something that isn't yours is never ok. It doesn't matter that he wanted you, Kagome. It matters that he literally kidnapped you. I don't care what you looked like, or what you were doing. He had no right to try to take you or control you. But fine, I won't kill him. He has to pay for what he did, though. But first, I have to get you back to the sea so you can go home."_

Her heart drops, 'He doesn't want me. I guess I should've thought about that. I shouldn't have assumed he felt the same way.' Her voice comes out shaky, "_I guess this is goodbye then?"_ She didn't mean to make it sound like a question, but she couldn't stop herself. Her mind is begging him to tell her no, praying that he wouldn't break her heart.

HIs heart stutters at her words. 'Goodbye'. Was he okay with that? Should he really let her leave and never see her again? Can he really say goodbye forever? He feels her shrinking away in his arms and as he's pulled out of his reverie he feels a growl reverberating in his chest. He locks eyes with her and she's not afraid per se, more concerned. He stops growling, and mumbles a "_Sorry."_ He takes a deep breath then makes a decision, "_Do you want to go back?"_

She meets his eyes and he is surprised by the hopeful sparkle in her stormy blue ones, "_Can I stay with you?"_

His eyes go wide, "_You __want_ _to stay with me?" _A huge smile spreads across her cheeks and her eyes are bright and happy as she nods vigorously. Then her head drops down and a bright blush spreads across her cheeks and down her neck. He can't help but wonder how far that blush goes. Her voice snaps him back and he realizes how despicable his mind is for thinking that after everything she'd been through today.

"_If you want me to stay, I'd like to stay with you. But if you don't want me here, then I'll understand and I'll go home." _

"_Are you shitting me?!"_ His voice comes out much more gruff than he intended. "_I-I mean… Of course, I want you to stay. But that's a decision you have to make. I don't want to keep you from the other people in your life. If I do that I'm no better than the bastard who kidnapped you. You deserve to make your own choices. I don't want you to stay with me because you think you owe it to me. If you want to stay with me it has to be because you want to be with me."_

Her smile is once again dazzling, "_I'd like to stay with you. I mean, I'd like to be able to visit my family and friends, but I'd like to be with you, too."_

He can't believe his ears. He pulls her flush against his chest and squeezes tightly and he feels her arms wrap around his neck in response. His heart has never felt so light, he feels his cheeks heat up as a blush spreads across his cheeks too. He's never had someone he cared for like this and he thought for sure he was gonna lose her. He can't do anything but hold her tightly, terrified of letting her go again.

Kagome gasps when he pulls her against his chest, and a few happy tears escape as she wraps her arms around his neck. Not hours ago she felt like she was trapped and never wanted to leave her island. But thinking about never seeing him again was an even scarier thought. She doesn't want to imagine her life without him. Now it seems like she never will.


	7. Selkies and Sirens Epliogue

Epilogue

A/N Inuyasha and co. does not belong to me

Thank you so much eternal-night for editing my story. You are an amazing friend I am so grateful for your help.

The ship is anchored out in the deep waters and several small lifeboats approach the sandy beach. The lead ship is being steered by a tall man with long silver hair. As Inuyasha and Kagome arrive on the beach the man lifts his hand and waves jovially. His voice is loud and booming, "Inuyasha, I finally found you! Your mother has been worried sick! Not to mention Sesshomaru is wanting to skin you alive for disappearing with that special delivery to America."

As the lifeboat gets within 15 feet of the sand the man leaps out and lands gracefully in front of Inuyasha. Kagome steps back and stands a bit behind Inuyasha, which has been slightly normal behavior since everything that happened a couple months ago.

The movement catches the man's eye instantly, "Now Inuyasha, who is this lovely lady?"

Inuyasha ignores the question and asks one of his own. "Hey Oyaji. How in the hell did you manage to find us?"

A loud booming laugh erupts and Kagome is at first frightened by the sound, but soon finds herself relaxing and smiling with this stranger. "Inuyasha, did you really doubt I could find you? I want to return to your mother and live to tell about it. If I came back without you, she would have found some way to kill me. You and I both know even as a human she would have bested me. Not that I would have fought back against her, but I digress. Now then, I knew the course you were taking, and I have been checking any islands around here for any sign of you. You should have reached your destination over 3 months ago, you had to know I would come to find you. Now, how did you end up here, and was anyone hurt?"

Inuyasha and his father continue talking and Kagome's head is spinning trying to understand everything he's saying, but she manages to grasp the basic concepts that this man is Inuyasha's father and wants to take him home to his family; it's where he belongs. These months she and Inuyasha had a chance to get closer, but he doesn't belong here with her, it seems she is going to lose him again. Her chest tightens as she feels her heart breaking within it. She'd never known happiness like this before, but his happiness is more important. She realizes she is not going to have a chance to be with him for the rest of her days as she had hoped.

Her world is crashing around her, but all she wants is for Inuyasha to be happy. She releases his arm and steps backwards hoping to remove herself silently. Tōga sees her move from the corner of his eye, but says nothing. He can almost distinguish the salt of her tears against the salt in the air, but he can't be sure. She carefully steps into the forest and vanishes from sight. As soon as she is no longer visible, Inuyasha shakes his head stopping himself mid sentence. "Sorry oyaji. I have to go make sure she doesn't get herself killed. I'll be right back." Tōga chuckles in response then shakes his head at Inuyasha's back.

Inuyasha arrives to the cave she has chosen for hiding her skin and sees her seal form slowly bounding across the ground. He lands in front of her and she stops instantly. _"Wanna tell me why you're running?"_ The seal Kagome lowers her head until her snout is almost in the sand. She can't respond in this form, but somehow she has to tell him. He doesn't belong here with her, and she belongs back with her family. Not that she ever fit in there, but it's still where she belongs. He has a family, his father has been searching for months. His mother has been worried about him. He doesn't belong here with her and besides, she can't leave the sea. 'Am I actually trying to convince myself?' She raises her head and meets his eyes, her heart pounds so hard and she knows she doesn't want to lose him. She doesn't want to go back to that little rocky island and live as a seal.

She turns around and goes back to the cave. She comes out in her torn and tattered dress, she can't let her emotions sway him. He has a right to choose his happiness. She clears her throat and tries to lie, _"I figured we could have a feast. I was going to catch some fish to feed your father and all the men."_ His eyes bore into her, and she knows he doesn't believe her lie. _"Wench, my father has been on a ship for months and is probably sick of fish. So try to come up with a better lie, or tell me the truth."_

Her shoulders sag slightly, what can she say to him? Anything she says will effect his decision. If she acts like she doesn't want to be with him he'll leave but not necessarily by his own choice, if she asks him to stay he will, but would it be out of pity? She doesn't want to look into those golden eyes and see pity, that would break her faster than marrying Naraku ever could have. She takes a deep breath and the salt sea air recharges her resolve a bit. The truth then, he has been her great hero on multiple occasions and if nothing else he deserves the truth from her.

"_Inuyasha, you deserve to be happy, and I don't want to be the thing that keeps you from that. Your family misses you and I'm sure you miss them too. You had a life before me, and I can't take that from you. I know you don't belong here, you desire excitement and travel. You wouldn't be happy staying here with me, so I won't ask that of you. I figured if I left, you would be free to go home with your dad and your friends. I suppose it wasn't fair of me to leave and not say goodbye, but I didn't think I would be able to say goodbye to you."_ She takes a deep, albeit shaky, breath, and as she lets it out a tear escapes unbidden.

His arms wrap around her and she feels his hard chiseled chest against her. She feels her cheeks heat up, and he leans in until his mouth is right next to her ear. "_I don't think I'd be able to say goodbye to you either, Kagome. So let's not do that. But tell me, what do you really and truly want out of life? Is it something I can even give you?"_ He pulls back and honeyed gold meets stormy blue. "_I want you to be happy too, you know."_

Kagome stops for a minute, she knows her heart belongs to him, the only other thing she needs in her life is the sea. As she stares into his golden eyes her hand gently rises to rest on his cheek. She doesn't remember when their faces got this close, but his breath is ghosting across her lips. His one arm is still wrapped around her near her waist and his other hand has gently slid up and nestled in her hair. She is trying to focus on his words from before but only one seems to resonate with her, 'happy'. What would make her happy? She knows what she wants, but the words won't seem to form. His heat is scorching her. It feels like electricity is coursing through her everywhere he touches. Her eyes still haven't left his, but she realizes the best way to tell him what will make her happy is to follow her heart. She rises up on her tiptoes, closes her eyes, and presses her lips gently against his.

At their connection a soft growl rumbles in his chest and the arm around her waist pulls her in closer. The second that growl reverberates through his chest and into hers a deep moan escapes her. Her arms lift and wrap around his neck and her head tilts slightly to the side. After a few seconds she feels his warm tongue caress her lip. As she gasps in response he enters her mouth and his tongue seems to plunder as it gently swirls around hers. He steals her very breath and butterflies erupt in her stomach. His hands travel down under her hips and he gently lifts her up. As she feels her feet leave the ground she wraps her legs around his waist, and he carries her to the cave. He effortlessly sets her down on the ground and rests his left knee between her legs and the other outside her left leg, his hand is on her cheek and his lips begin trailing down the other side of her jaw. He pulls away slightly and whispers in her ear, "_Kagome, breathe._" and she begins gasping. It feels like ages since she had last taken a breath but somehow she didn't notice.

As she lay on the ground catching her breath he resumes his kisses across her ear and neck. He gently takes her earlobe into his mouth and suckles. She can't seem to focus on anything other than him. The world around them has faded away, and all she wants is him. His lips work their way down to her collar bone, and her fingers work their way up into his hair. As her fingers find his ear and gently rub in circles, he stops kissing her neck. Something hard rubs against her thigh and she gasps and a low moan escapes her.

"_Kagome, you should probably stop that. I am only holding on by a thread here, and if you keep that up, I don't think I'll be able to stop myself."_ She stops rubbing his ear but leaves her fingers there. She pulls her head back away from him and meets his eyes, then begins rubbing again without breaking eye contact. His lips crash onto hers, passionately kissing her, until she lifts her other hand and begins rubbing his other ear. His eyes open wide and he moves his head until his nose is resting in the crook of her neck. He takes a deep breath trying to calm his raging hard-on. Then he reaches up and grabs both her hands. "_This isn't something we should do without actually discussing it, ya know. So I really need you to stop doing that."_ She lets her hands fall and her eyes drift downwards as her mind comes crashing back to earth. She messed up, of course she did. She swore that she wasn't going to influence his decision, and here she is kissing him and seducing him to get him to stay with her.

She feels like the biggest fool, she got so swept up in the idea of herself being happy, she almost forgot what was important. She wants him to choose what will make him happy. How can he honestly choose if she does things like this? She lifts her hands to his shoulders and pushes against him until he sits up and moves off of her. She was so absorbed in his kisses and his touch that she barely registered them moving to the cave. As Inuyasha sits on the ground next to her puzzling over her extreme mood swings, she pulls her knees up and wraps her arms around her legs, her chin resting in between her kneecaps. Her voice comes out as barely a whisper. "_I'm sorry."_ She takes a deep shaky breath and swallows the lump in her throat. Her resolve seems to return and she makes a decision. "_You'd better go, I bet your dad is looking for you. I'll bring your chests up from my hiding place and store them in here. That way you and he can put them on his ship. I wouldn't want you to be stuck waiting for me to set sail."_ She steps behind a large boulder where her skin is hidden and proceeds to change forms.

His voice starts as a growl, low and frustrated. "_Godammit Kagome! What the fuck is your problem? I really don't understand why you seem pissed off all of a sudden. I said we needed to discuss things, not that I didn't fuckin wanna do it!" _His growl dissipates and she can hear the sadness in his voice. _I didn't think it was fair to take something so precious from you. Or else I would be no better than the fucking wolf, or the bastard Naraku. I can't do that, especially not to you. I've spent months protecting you from everyone, I didn't imagine I would actually have to try to protect you from myself, but I know you don't know anything about the rest of the world." _

He takes a deep breath before continuing on. "_Being with a hanyou is enough to ensure you will be shunned for the rest of your life. You'll never be accepted, or respected again. I didn't want to take everything from you without talking about it. It's something I've had to live with forever, but it's not something I want to force upon you. I couldn't do that to someone I love." _The word came out as an afterthought and his eyes go wide with the realization. Kagome stops partially transformed between seal and human, and stands stock still behind the boulder.

"_You love me?" _Her voice is softer than she wanted it to be, but she'd only ever dreamed about loving someone and being loved by them. It wasn't something that would normally happen to a selkie. Love was a fairytale, and all the stories she'd ever heard were horror stories to try to keep her safe.

"_Idiot. Do ya even have ta ask?" _His voice is gruff but tender. "_Kagome, do you have a family? Do you have people who will miss you terribly if you never go back to the other island?" _

She sits for a minute, "_My mom, but she is more seal than selkie. She's never understood being a human even for a short time. But she would still assume the worst and miss me. I have a small family, within the larger group but most of them will understand. With fae it's never as simple as living a full life. There are predators to both my sides."_

His voice is closer, and it comes out almost pleadingly, "_Kagome, come with me. I'll bring you back to visit your family whenever we can. Hell if they want to come with us they can. But I don't want to imagine my life without you in it. I'll help you hide your skin, and I'll keep guard on it for as long as you'll stay with me. Please, come with me?"_

Her heart is pounding violently, and she can't stop the grin from spreading across her face, "_Do you really want me to come with you?"_

His growl rents through the air in response, "_Why the fuck would I ask if I didn't want you to!?"_ Then more softly, "_If you won't come with me, then I'll stay here with you. If you'll have me."_

She carefully and quietly removes her skin and puts the dress back on. His ears droop so low she can't see them in his hair. "_But why would you want that, right? I mean, I've heard it my whole life. I'm a worthless hanyou."_

He turns to head outside and her arms wrap around his middle and he stops short, "_Idiot, do ya even have ta ask?" _She mimicks. _"I'll come with you, but I need one more thing."_ He turns around in her arms and places his head atop hers as she continues. "_My heart belongs to you, but there's one contender in there. I need the sea. I can't imagine not having you in my life, but as a selkie I need the sea too."_

His chuckle is dark and gentle, "_In case you haven't noticed, that's usually where I am. Of course I'll never take ya from the sea. You really are an idiot today. We'll sail on the sea and set port on beautiful beaches. You can swim wherever you want, and as long as I make my deliveries on time, as long as you want. Just don't make me live my life without you."_

Her grin spreads even further and she tilts her head up and catches his lips in a torrid kiss. She pulls back after a few seconds, "_I don't think either of us will be happy if we try to do that. I'll come with you. Wherever you go, I'll be there. Let's start this life journey together." _

He Wraps his arms around her middle, lifts her up and twirls her in a spin. Her arms wrap around his neck as she lets loose a giggle. "_Now, I do have to go talk to my dad, can you bring the chests up to the shallows and I'll get them to him?"_

She nods gently and he sets her down to go put her skin on. She scurries back behind the boulder and changes into her seal skin. Her seal body bounces out onto the beach and into the surf before it vanishes from sight. Inuyasha stares until she disappears and goes to return to his dad.

Tōga is talking to Miroku when Inuyasha returns, "Now what did you do with the lovely lady? I thought you were going to bring her back, but I guess you were too busy seducing her and left her to recuperate. Did you exhaust her that much so quickly, son?"

Inuyasha's eyes go wide and Miroku nods solemnly, "If he did sir; I must say it would be about time. He has been spending almost every waking minute with her by his side for a couple of months now, yet they still haven't even held hands. I was starting to doubt he was actually your son. I know you are much more suave, that is if Lady Izayoi's stories have any truth to them."

Tōga's laugh is booming and Inuyasha is still staring wide eyed at his so-called best friend. Finally, after what seems an eternity but in actuality is probably no more than a few seconds, "Wha-eh-who- Miroku, what the hell are you saying?! You need to shut your damn mouth and not talk about things that you know nothing about!"

A small splash grabs all of their attention and they turn to find a seal splashing a bit while dragging something up into the shallows. "Look Inuyasha, it's one of those weird creatures again. I wonder where they are actually from?"

As Tōga glances over he smiles and points out to the west, "There is an island not too far that way that was covered in them. It didn't have much else other than rocks, and a few birds. It probably came from there. I guess it has a food source near this island."

Inuyasha clears his throat and mutters "It's a seal. They live on all the islands around here. Miroku why don't you take dad and all his men to the camp and have all the men get ready. Tell Kouga to go catch another boar, we have quite a few people to feed tonight. Now get on. Dad, do you mind going with Miroku? I have to get the special delivery out of hiding and I'll bring it to the campsite soon." Tōga nods and Miroku leads the way.

Inuyasha gets into the shallows just in time to meet up with Kagome bringing up the second chest in her seal form. He lifted both of the chests easily, "_Come on, let's get you back to your human form and get back to camp. I don't want anyone else to see you changing though. We're also gonna have to find a good place on board to hide your skin until I get my ship replaced."_

Kagome nods in response and heads over towards the cave to change into her tattered dress. As they return to the campsite Kouga is putting the newly caught boar over the fire and all of Tōga's sailors are relaxing around the firepit. After getting the list of people who didn't survive the original shipwreck and realizing how much was lost, Tōga made it a point to have someone write everything down that was said.

"Ah, I see the lovely lady has returned. It's a pleasure to meet you miss. My name is Tōga, I'm Inuyasha's father." She nods kindly trying to understand what he actually said.

Inuyasha cuts in for a minute, "Dad this is Kagome-chan. She has been helping me around the island."

Kagome bows slightly, "Pleasure to meet you Tōga-chan." As she rises she sees Inuyasha looking horrified, and a large grin spreading across Tōga's face. Before she can even ask what she has done wrong Tōga's booming laugh erupts and Inuyasha's head drops shaking slightly.

"Dad Japanese isn't her first language, sorry about that." After a minute of laughing heartily he shakes his head in response.

"Think nothing of it. What is your first language, Kagome-chan?"

She looks at Inuyasha not sure what to say. She's heard him say the name of the language before, but what did he say it was called? She finally decides to just go for it. "_I am more fluent in this language, but I honestly cannot remember what it is called, sir. May I ask what exactly I said or did wrong?"_

His smile remains as he responds jovially in English, "_It wasn't a major issue so don't fret about it. Simply put, instead of chan, san would have been more appropriate, but I am not offended or upset by a simple mistake. I would like to thank you for keeping my son in line. How did you two meet?"_

"_I found his chests after they washed up on shore and I wanted to make sure he was able to salvage as much as possible. I also helped him find an appropriate hiding place for a few things."_

"_Ah so you are the lucky reason we didn't lose the cargo, then I am indeed indebted to you. How can I repay you, miss?"_

Her spluttering is cut off by Inuyasha, "_Actually I'd like to take her with us. She doesn't have any family and I don't want to leave her here alone. I'll take care of her, she won't be a bother in any way."_ At these words her eyes go wide, it had never dawned on her that she might be in the way. Her chin sinks to her chest for an instant, until she feels Inuyasha's hand grip hers. "_I also am hoping to court her and plan to make her my wife."_ She locks eyes with him and can't help the smile from spreading across her face.

Tōga cuts in, interrupting their moment, "_I see that I have apparently missed quite a lot these last few months. Very well, of course she can come with us. We'll leave at high tide, so early in the morning. After we eat dinner, we'll get everyone on board for the night. Is there anything else I need to know, Inuyasha? I'm not going to be a grandfather in a few months am I?"_

Kagome's blush spreads all the way to her neck and Inuyasha proceeds to splutter, ending with a, "What the hell Oyaji?! How can you say something like that to someone you barely know?!"

Miroku walks up at that moment, "Tōga-san dinner is ready, the men are waiting for you to start eating." Without a word he nods and leaves Inuyasha spluttering and Kagome blushing.

"_I'm so sorry about him, he didn't mean to sound rude. He was just caught by surprise and he tends to use humor to dissipate the tension. He didn't make you too uncomfortable did he?"_

As she looks up and meets his eyes her embarrassment vanishes, "_No, everything is fine so long as I get to stay with you. So, we are leaving tomorrow?"_

He smiles and nods gently, "_Yep, now it's time to start a brand new adventure. Together."_

Her response is filled with love, "_Together."_


End file.
